WITH the modern technology and with the younger generation almost active in everything, the current direction of agriculture in the Philippines is geared towards making it more attractive and more appealing to the youth.
The objective is to make the younger generation venture and be involved in agriculture. Specific efforts and encouragements had been made by different private and government institutions.
This month of May, the Davao City Agriculture’s Office (CAO) celebrates the month-long Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Month with the theme “Sa AgriNegosyo, Pagbag-o Sigurado”.
One of the highlights launched by CAO in connection with this celebration was the Agribeshies: The Agribiz Youth Club of Davao. The program intends to bring together and train youth into farming especially the specifics of agribusiness.
This initiative of CAO goes with the belief that agribusiness is a vital strategy in engaging the Dabawenyo youth to agriculture in general.
CAO head Leo Brian Leuterio, in an earlier interview, said they also envision the project to expose school-based agribusiness students with actual agribusiness management as well as hands-on training.
All of this will be done in order for the students to increase their interest with agriculture. Moreover, agribusiness students from different schools in the city will also be able to have collaborations through Agribeshies when doing or launching a project.
Nationwide, there are already at least 250 farm schools accredited by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda). Tesda Davao Region continues to push for establishment of farm schools in the region in support of the mission of bringing the youth closer to agriculture.
“We are helping the government in promoting this use of farm schools. There are two methodologies: we have training centers that are really farm schools, while we also have an approach wherein existing farms will be made into agricultural laboratories. The farmers will be taught to facilitate especially in organic agriculture,” said Tesda Davao regional director Gaspar Gayona.
The farm school program was launched in by Tesda Davao late 2017 which started with 25 scholars trained in Panabo City. On top of that, Tesda Davao had also since been partnering with the Department of Trade and Industry and the Aces Nature Farm in Panabo City in producing organic farmer-graduate youths. To date they have produced at least 1,500 graduates.
In Davao City, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has also put up a farm school with Tesda Davao–Korea Philippines Vocational Training Center in Tibungco. This establishment currently does trainings of post-harvest facility maintenance and creation of the Agricultural Training Institute.
The agriculture industry of Philippines is now quite bullish in not only providing stable and affordable food for Filipinos. Its goal had escalated into making sure everyone gets to be interested and to participate in agriculture.
This year’s celebration of Farmers and Fisherfolk’s Month does not only celebrate and honor the existing workers in the agriculture sector but as well as encouraging the youth that there is money and things that needs to be learned in this sector.