THE Laguna-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) has enlisted Thai expertise to get more young Filipinos into farming.
An expert from the Thailand Regional Agriculture Innovation Network (RAIN) was tapped for Searca’s career orientation program for youth called “Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth’s Future in Agriculture.”
Searca Center Director Glenn Gregorio said this initiative aims to “inspire Southeast Asia’s next generation of agricultural leaders by introducing them to cutting-edge agricultural technologies and agri-entrepreneurship.”
Phonlapat Amornrattanaket of the Thailand RAIN project explains their drone program to a team from the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Led by Sharon Malaiba, Partnerships Unite head and Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation or #Y4AGRI lead, the Searca team met on September 2 with Phonlapat Amornrattanaket, business development specialist, Thailand RAIN project, regarding the next holding of Sowing Seeds.
Gregorio said the program targets senior high school and pre-university students across Southeast Asia to “introduce them to the latest advancements in agricultural technology and how these present opportunities to those who pursue a degree and career in agriculture.”
On September 6, the first Sowing Seeds session at Patumwan Demonstration School in Bangkok, Thailand, Phonlapat shared insights on the use of drone technology to boost agricultural productivity.
He also highlighted the positive impacts of drone solutions in Thailand, particularly in improving the yield and profitability of key crops.
Funded by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), these innovations are a focus of the Thailand RAIN project implemented by Winrock International to promote climate-smart and precision agriculture technologies.
As a partner of Winrock in the Thailand RAIN project, Gregorio said Winrock and Searca will “conduct coordinated scanning for innovations, provide guidance to other universities and actors on scanning, and co-host learning sessions.”
“Both will also define best practices for bundling finance, extension, equality and data into innovations. The collaboration for the Sowing Seeds activity is a step in co-hosting learning sessions,” he added.
Gregorio said that Searca and Winrock agreed to develop youth outreach programs to “excite them about agri-innovations and link them to specific entrepreneurial opportunities.”
The Searca team and Phonpalat also discussed the possibility of leveraging Thailand RAIN project’s innovations.
“This will engage more Thai youth in innovation and agri-entrepreneurship by jointly organizing a series of learning sessions in the eight provinces covered by the Rain project,” the team said.
Joining Malaiba at the meeting were Leah Lyn Domingo, Searca public relations specialist, and Loise Ann Carandang, Searca senior associate for communications and #Y4AGRI co-lead.
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