To address the ageing population of the country’s food producers, the Department of Agriculture through its Agriculture and Fisheries Information Division (AFID) has launched a nationwide campaign to entice younger Filipinos to take interest in Agriculture.
Themed, “Kabataan sa Agrikultura, Para sa Bayang Masagana,” the six-leg information caravan aims to educate Junior and Senior High School students on the opportunities available within the agri-fishery sector. It also presents agriculture in a different light, highlighting the modernized innovations, including machineries and facilities for pre- to post-production activities.
The event, which kicked off on March 7 in Legazpi City, Albay seeks to eliminate the misconception that farming is an uncompensated hard labor and farmers grow old poor.
“We want to showcase the transformation of Philippine agriculture to invite a new generation of farmers and fishers. The Infocaravan presents to them that farming, fishing and other industries within the Philippine agriculture are promising and noble professions,” AFID and Infocaravan organizers stressed.
Through the event, DA wishes to encourage students who will be entering college soon to consider agriculture and all of its subsectors as possible career options.
Representatives from the High Value Crops Development Program discussed income generating opportunities for coffee, cacao, banana and other commodities.
Speakers from the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) presented latest innovations for rice and corn farming, as well as other champion commodities. While the engineers from the Geomapping and Governance Unit of the Philippine Rural Development Project present the steps taken by DA to digitalize the country’s agriculture sector.
“We invite young Filipinos to come and join the sector, to prevent a possible gap in food production and enable a food sufficient nation in line with the mission of the President,” AFID said.
Aside from career opportunities and technologies, each day-long Infocaravan presents scholarship programs from the Agriculture Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, the Bureau of Agricultural Research, and the Land Bank of the Philippines.
“Participants must be assured that there is financial assistance available for them once they decide to pursue a course related to agriculture,” the organizers noted.
Outstanding young farmers were also invited to give a short talk on their journey towards success.
“The students need to see someone close to their age and who have taken the challenge and have succeeded. There are a lot of success stories of young farmers and young agri-entrepreneurs out there,” AFID said.
The event earned positive feedbacks from students and teachers alike, who were thankful to the DA for leading the campaign.
Teacher Amalia Seblante who attended the Eastern Visayas leg held in Ormoc City said that the caravan inspired her students to engage in farming and take agriculture as a future career.
Joy Arroyo Quesada, a student who attended the Caraga Infocaravan held in Butuan City said that the updates in the field of agriculture will help her and her classmates embrace farming.
According to the staff of the Agricultural Training Institute in Region 12, who joined the festivities held in Koronadal, “this information caravan for Junior and Senior High School students is such a good initiative of Sec. Manny Piñol to increase prospect enrollees in Agriculture.”
AFID, in partnership with the Regional Agriculture and Fisheries Information Offices of DA conducts yearly information caravan to educate the farmers, fishers, and other stakeholders on the current projects and programs of the government for the development of the rural communities.
“Kabataan sa Agrikultura, Para sa Bayang Masagana” is the first information caravan spearheaded by AFID intended for students and the youth. It was held in Legazpi, GenSan, Butuan, Calapan, and Ormoc. The last event will be staged in Tuguegarao on April 4, 2019. ### (oda rodriguez/DA-AFID)
