Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 11) – “Farming is a hot career. Let’s continue making farming sexy.”
These are the stimulating words of Agrea International president and founding farmer Cherrie Atilano as she encourages the youth to venture into farming in time for the ‘new normal’ brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an interview with CNN Philippines’ Rico Hizon, Atilano noted the agribusinesses sector is now an essential industry since food has become more of a vital necessity.
“This new normal demands us to be more resilient (as) individuals. And growing your own food makes you a resilient person in the process,” she said.
Access to food during the enhanced community quarantine in the country became limited for a while due to the border checkpoints and movement restrictions implemented by the national government, which greatly affected the farmers in the countryside, according to Atilano.
“In the agriculture sector, it wasn’t that easy because the first or two weeks of the lockdown, you know the farmers had no way to bring their produce in the city where we usually supply. Restaurants and hotels and big markets were actually closed so they lost their markets,” noted the agribusiness owner.
She added what worsened the farmers’ woes is that during the first weeks of the ECQ, which was the harvest season, many of their produce rotted in the fields.
Atilano emphasized that venturing into agribusiness will help solve the farming problems experienced during the quarantine and from a bigger picture, strengthen the country’s food systems.
The Agrea International founding farmer also highlighted that farmers in the country are getting old. She mentioned the average age of a farmer in the country is at 58 years, while the global average is at 60 years old.
“Not a lot of young people are interested in going into farming. So during this COVID-19 lockdown, it’s just like making people realize that… How important food is, how important agriculture is,” said Atilano.
Atiliano, who has been in the agribusiness sector for 22 years, shared an important benefit of farming which is the personal satisfaction of growing your own food.
“The moment you grow your own food it’s so sexy you know growing your own food… you know where your food is coming from and it’s a power that you can actually live with what you have in terms of farming or what you harvest,” explained Atiliano.
The Department of Agriculture recently reported ₱5.4-billion worth of agricultural produce from farmers and fishermen were sold to consumers amid the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
The DA is also rolling out its “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” direct marketing stores to help the producers affected by the pandemic.
