By Monsi A. Serrano
For a former farmer turned public servant, there are so many things we Filipino can benefit from the agricultural industry. This is not based on theory, but rather based on his actual experience.
Tarlac province being primarily an agricultural town with vast agricultural land has been capitalizing on this. They introduced agriculture in the school and provided seeds and technical skills in order to inculcate in the minds of students that farming is not just about planting, but also preparing to be self-sustainable and ensure food security in the family.
Speaking to THEPHILBIZNEWS, Victoria Mayor Christian Yap revealed that before he became the municipal Mayor of Victoria, Province of Tarlac, he was already into farming. But his strategy is just not on the regular agricultural crops, but also high-value crops which he has been doing to encourage other farmers in his town in order to survive especially when the prices of rice are low.
“We have to tell them to be creative. Agriculture is fun because it teaches you to think and strategize like, what else can I plant when it is not rice planting season,” he explained.
“This is what I have been teaching to them, and challenge them to think and veer away from their old ways of doing it,” he added.
“I encourage them to start planting herbs, incorporate another agribusiness in their farms such as piggery, poultry, and even small fishpond. With this integrated kind of farming, you make even your own food consumption secured.
Realizing the value of growing your own, Mayor Christian said that it was really exciting and fun to get into agriculture, especially now that food security is a major concern all over the world.
He added the youth should start exploring agriculture. With the technology available, they can research what are the best crops to produce. They are creative and talented, and they can start doing this in their own backyard.
“There are so many opportunities in agriculture. You can start growing your own food and then scale it up to a business, and from there grow it big,” Yap added.
Read related story: https://thephilbiznews.com/entrep-farmer-urges-filipinos-to-focus-on-agri-business-to-survive-the-new-normal-stabilize-economy/