Incorporate technology to entice young farmers – PBBM

Aiming to have the younger generation engaged in farming and fishing, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has proposed incorporating technology in agriculture.

“We need to utilize new technologies. Because that's what we really need so that each hectare of land has a greater yield, a greater harvest,” Marcos told farmers and fisherfolk in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

He emphasized that the youth understand technology as well as its application in agriculture.

“The ones who understand and are the real practitioners, that is, of high-tech agriculture, intensive and extensive types of agriculture, are the young people. They are the ones who will teach us new technologies,” he said.

“And I think that will be interesting, that will be interesting for our young people so that they can see that not only – farmers have a good job,” he added.

Marcos lamented that the average age of farmers is now significantly higher than before.

“The average ages of our farmers and fisherfolks are already too high,” he said.

He also pointed out that the life of farmers is difficult, which may lead them to encourage their children to pursue education and seek careers in offices.

“Those who have already studied, our children who have already studied, they want to be in an air-conditioned office and be a little more comfortable. Because life is really hard. We see that in the provinces, the hard life of farmers,” he said.

However, Marcos believes that Filipinos are strong and hardworking despite hardships.

“I think the sacrifice that is needed to improve our harvest, I think the Filipinos who will become farmers will say, it's worth it. Even if there is sacrifice, it's worth it,” he added.

Marcos said he will make changes in agricultural policy to entice people to believe that there is life and a future in farming.

“We haven't had an agricultural policy for a very, very long time. So the kids will say, why are we going to get into that? There's nothing – there's no going back, that's all,” he said.

“So now, we're going to change all that. Now, there's hope. They'll see that there's an improvement in livelihood as farmers and they'll return to farming,” he added.