THE Philippines must modernize the agriculture sector through mechanization and the use of new technologies such as drones to remain competitive, a business group said.
Agriculture is among the vital sectors of the economy and also a major source of employment, said Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Cecilio Pedro in a forum on Sept. 1.
Pedro said it is important for farms to be mechanized.
“Hindi na pu-pwede ang kalabaw ang gamitin natin. Walang mangyayari sa atin kung kalabaw. Mahal ko ang kalabaw but we should go mechanized,” he said.
He also said using drones, robots and other technologies will make farming faster and more efficient.
“Sa other countries… puro robot na lang, ‘yung pag-spray ng insecticides, robot, drone ang ginagamit. Ang ginagamit nila malalaking makina. What will take us a week, it will take them a few hours… Ang layo natin,” he said.
He added: “How can we compete? The key here is competition natin eh. Kalaban natin ay hindi Pilipino, kalaban natin Vietnamese, Indonesians, Thailand.”
Earlier, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president George Barcelon said the Philippines should not forget to upskill its agricultural workers even as it strives to raise the skills of its IT workers.
Barcelon said while upskilling in industries like business process outsourcing and electronics is important, priority should still be given to the agriculture industry and agricultural workers.
“We know very well that agriculture is top of mind for the country because unang-una, we need to have food security, food sufficiency,” he said.
Barcelon said agriculture can also be a big job generator.
“Agri countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, they leverage on that. They export a lot more,” said Barcelon.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is also currently the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, said he aims to ramp up food production and build self-sufficiency in the country. (ABS-CBN News)
