The Department of Agriculture (DA) identified a new set of young Filipino scholars as it continues to push upskilling programs to entice the youth to go into agriculture.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said at the send-off ceremony for 23 scholars bound for the “Young Filipino Farm Leaders Training “ in Japan that the agency aims to introduce Filipino youth to new technologies and practices that they can bring home to help modernize Philippine agriculture.
“The Agricultural Training Institute’s Young Filipino Farm Leaders Training Program in Japan underscores the department’s continuing commitment to advance the skills of our young farmers and showcase their abilities, values and competencies in the international arena,” said Tiu Laurel.
A lingering concern on the future of Philippine agriculture is the advanced age of farmers who are 50 years and above, and the seeming reluctance of younger Filipinos to plant crops or go into fishing.
Tiu Laurel reiterated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to modernize agriculture and encourage young Filipinos to engage in the sector, noting that agriculture provides about four in 10 jobs in the country and contributes less than one-fifth of the gross domestic product. Othel V. Campos
“By banking on the knowledge, skills and values of young farmers, especially in their exposure as international exchange interns, we will help usher in a Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas filled with a globally competitive, digitally adept and climate-resilient agricultural workforce,” he said.