At a time when the country is struggling with its rice supply, it is time get more kids to turn to farming.
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rey Umali wants to make farming cool again by getting the youth to study agriculture.
In a Facebook post, Umali said he was working with the Mindoro State College of Agriculture and Technology and other government agencies to offer scholarships and agriculture courses to the youth of Mindoro.
According to him, the number of farmers in the country has been dwindling, and many of them are already elderly. Too few members of the youth want to become farmers, he added.
If this trend continues, the country’s food supply could be affected, he warned.
This is why he was working to drum up interest in farming.
It’s time to make agriculture cool!
“Ramdam natin ang pagkaunti ng bilang ng mga magsasaka rito sa ating bansa, karamihan pa sakanila ay may edad na, hirap na kumilos, at mahina na ang pangangatawan. Sa modernong panahon ngayon ay bibihira na lamang ang mayroong interes sa agrikultura.
Kung magpapatuloy ang kawalan ng interes ng kabataan sa sektor na ito, maaaring maapektuhan ang suplay ng ating mga pagkain sa mga susunod na taon.
Kaya’t ang inyong lingkod po ang nakikipag tulungan sa MinSCAT at iba pang ahensya upang tayo ay magkaroon ng agricultural courses at scholarships para sa ating mga kabataang Mindoreno.
Narito ang ilang kurso na may kaugnayan sa agrikultura na maaari ninyong kunin. Patuloy po nating hikiyatin ang mga kabataan na mag-aral ng agriCOOLtura,” Umali posted on Facebook.