Department of Agriculture urges youth to consider career in agri

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is urging young Filipinos to consider a career in agriculture to reverse the country’s aging farmer population and ensure the sustained growth of this critical sector.

Agriculture Undersecretary Bernie Fondevilla said that just like other “white-collar” career paths, agriculture can become a profitable venture for the country’s youth by tapping its countless opportunities and working hard to achieve their goals.

Fondevilla lamented that many students usually shy away from agriculture-related courses, preferring instead to pursue careers in more prestigious professions such as law and engineering, despite the many potentials offered by the country’s farm and fisheries sector for the country’s enterprising young Filipinos.

The priority thrust of the DA is not only to further boost farm yields, but also to make agriculture and fisheries a lot more profitable for farmers and fisherfolk to encourage more investors and stakeholders to enter this sector.

Fondevilla expressed concern over the country’s aging farmer population where the average age is above 60 years old.

Fondevilla acknowledged though that the problem of an aging farmer sector population is not just in the Philippines. It is also a problem of countries like Japan, the US and many of the Philippines’ neighboring countries, he added.

Fondevilla pointed out  that despite the twin challenges of a growing population and climate change on agriculture, the sector offers young Filipinos various opportunities for career growth because food will always be in demand.

The global demand for rice, for instance, is growing steadily at 1.5 percent annually, according to data from the International Rice Research Institute, Fondevilla said.

The problem of a growing population, he said, can be an opportunity considering that this means more mouths to feed, and hence, more consumers of rice and other food staples.

As for climate change, Fondevilla said, the DA has begun implementing a series of measures to mitigate its effects on Philippine agriculture and help small stakeholders adapt to altered weather patterns.