Knowledge, Awareness, and Perception on Lactic Acid Bacteria Serum of Selected International Training Center for Pig Husbandry Alumni in Quezon Province, Philippines

Date

1-2021

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Maria Noriza Q. Herrera

Committee Member

Maria Noriza Q. Herrera, Nohreen Ethel P. Manipol, Remund Jordan D. Labios

Abstract

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and Lactic Acid are the main ingredients in some commercially available organic or natural farming products such as Effective Microorganisms (EM). It has been suggested to be an alternative to antibiotic growth promoters for both plants and animals especially for livestock. As of the present, LAB represent a substantial and diverse microbial group playing important roles in food industry, field of medicine, and most especially the field of agriculture.

Currently, the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture (DA) Agriculture Training Institute – International Training Center for Pig Husbandry (ATI-ITCPH) offers seminars on Sustainable Pig Farming (SPF) – Lactic Acid Bacteria Serum (LABS) wherein short courses on Beneficial Microorganisms: LABS and other Concoctions are taught, and various Effective Microorganisms technology is being promoted for Filipino farmers to apply on their own farms. The SPF-LABS course of ATI had already produced 174 alumni from 2016-2019. Among these alumni, most are swine farmers and agriculturists while the rests are from other various fields.

This study was conducted to generally assess the knowledge, awareness, and perception of swine farmers towards LABS. The specific objectives were the following: 1) to describe the socio-demographic profile of SPF-LABS alumni of LABS, 2) to present the background and training plan of SPF-LABS trainings, 3) to determine the knowledge, awareness, and perception of SPF-LABS alumni on LABS based on the trainings and their personal experiences with the technology using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework, 4) to identify the gap between the knowledge, awareness, and perception on LABS of the alumni and the SPF-LABS’s training plan by the ATI ITCPH, and 5) to formulate recommendations for ATI-ITCPH to improve their campaign for LABS.

In order to meet these objectives, an ATI-ITCPH representative and seven (7) SPF LABS alumni from Quezon were interviewed via phone call. The interviews were

guided by prepared questionnaires. The small number of respondents was significantly affected by the logistical constraints and safety precautions caused by COVID-19 pandemic. The data collected through the interviews were collated, tabulated, and analyzed.

The SPF-LABS trainings began after the launching of the Organic Farming Act of 2010 to adhere to their duty of introducing and training farmers and individuals on farming practices as well as agricultural technologies that would improve their farming operations. They started to conduct trainings on sustainable pig farming. The objective of ATI-ICPH in conducting SPF-LABS trainings was to teach farmers how to apply the organic way of training animals by discussing the LABS technology its production process and its applications but more specifically on swine.

The seven respondents who were alumni of SPF-LABS training were composed of five LABS adopters and two non-adopters. The importance of LABS was described by the alumni with its beneficial effects on farming such as minimization of unpleasant odor and improvement of animals’ and crops’ health. In relation to that, the adopters of LABS also gave their ratings on identified effects of LABS on their farming operations which resulted positively.

The problems cited by the seven SPF-LABS alumni included the lack of knowledge on the technology, the perceived negative effects of LABS on their farm operations, the unavailability of LABS materials in their areas, and their unavailability of time.

Based on the knowledge, awareness, and perception of the seven SPF-LABS training alumni on the training and on LABS, various recommendations for the technology developers, the disseminators, and the farmers were made. The recommendations for the technology developers included experimentations to identify the varieties of materials that are most effective in producing high LAB count, and to encourage farmers to apply LABS not only to swine but also to other livestock and poultry animals, as well as in crop production. The recommendations for the technology disseminators included direct invitation of agriculture related organization, association or cooperatives to attend the trainings, inclusion of LABS’s other application besides swine, experimentation with different varieties of the materials as well, discussion of the possible problems and outcomes of LABS production, and lastly, for the new normal set-up, organization and mobilization of SPF-LABS alumni to serve as trainers on their respective localities. Recommendations for all training alumni included application of what they learned during the trainings according to their respective farm operations, introduction of LABS to other farmers. Recommendations to the adopters and non-adopters of LABS were also formulated. Recommendations for LABS adopters included the continuation of its application as long as it is bringing beneficial effects, experiment on the different applications of LABS, and selling of their LABS product not only for profit but for the promotion of the technology as well. Recommendations for the non-adopter of LABS included attending more trainings and seminars to learn more about LABS to be able to decide whether to adopt or not adopt the technology.

Language

English

LC Subject

Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB), Agriculture

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993 2021 M17 M55

Document Type

Thesis

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