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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Smart agriculture' to entice youth into farming

'Smart agriculture' to entice youth into farming

Published Jul 9, 2023 02:34 am
An official of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said there are efforts to put in place digital infrastructure to entice the younger generations to join the agriculture sector, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.
*File photo*

NEDA Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon said this after President Marcos said the government was [boosting efforts](https://mb.com.ph/2023/7/7/marcos-signs-new-agrarian-emancipation-act) to get youth into agriculture. In an interview cited by the PCO, Edillon said there were ongoing efforts to lay down digital infrastructure with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), including low-orbit satellites and improved internet connectivity in far-flung areas of the country. She likewise expressed confidence that with the proper infrastructure, hardware, software, and skilled personnel, the youth, particularly those with technological inclinations, could be enticed to pursue agriculture. "Ito iyong mga developments that keep us hopeful na pwedeng madala natin doon (These are the developments that keep us hopeful that perhaps we can invite the youth)," she said. "Kaya importante rin talaga iyong mga youth, iyong mga techie, madala natin sa agriculture kasi ganito na iyong naging kalakaran sa labas, iyong kanilang (That's why it's important that we get the youth and the tech-savvy into agriculture because this is the normal in other countries. Their) agriculture [is] very, very high-tech and there’s no reason why we cannot do the same,” she added. According to the PCO, Edillon's remarks were in response to concerns that the younger generation no longer engages in agriculture, even with the various support programs ready for the sector. She said the average age of Filipino farmers in the country is between 57-59 years old. Meanwhile, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Undersecretary Luis Pangulayan pointed out that the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has supported the new policy. Pangulayan said the DOST is ready to assist farmers through technologies such as sun-powered irrigation and geo-mapping for land assessment and connectivity solutions. The DAR and DOST are set to meet to discuss means to fully integrate these technological advancements into the agricultural sector, Pangulayan said.

Related Tags

smart farming Rosemarie Edillon agriculture Presidential Communications Office
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