balita.ph; March 13, 2012 2:29 am 

LA PAZ, Tarlac, March 12 –A former priest-activist has expressed concern over the supposed reluctance of Filipino youth to engage in farming.

This is seen by observers as apparently due to the sorry state of farmers' economic status, which threatens the government's thrust on rice self-sufficiency.

The former priest-activist was speaking before farmers, local and agriculture officials during the harvest festival sponsored by hybrid rice seeds producer SL Agritech.

Fr. Ed dela Torre, who now serves as consultant to the Dept. of Agriculture, said the agency, under the leadership of Secretary Proceso Alcala, pursues programs that will uplift both the lives and morale of agricultural workers.

"There are only few children who want to become farmers," Dela Torre said.

He admitted that even his children were reluctant in pursuing agriculture as a calling.

Probably, he said, he himself has been telling them during his years of protesting that farmers were always under privileged.

"When I was an activist, I was fighting for the farmers. I was always telling them that the farmers are poor and underprivileged. Who are the normal people who would like to be poor?" he said.

This time, Dela Torre said the government is making ways to make farming not only economically feasible but also a profession stakeholders can be proud of.

Meanwhile, Manuel said his municipality has suffered much from a couple of typhoons that struck the region last year.

This was the only town visited by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III due to massive destruction brought by typhoon Pedring and other calamities, the mayor said.

He said President Aquino has extended support to local farmers that gave them the opportunity to implement schemes, such as subsidy to hybrid rice seeds.

During the harvest festival, farmers expressed happiness that their per hectare yield doubled with hybrid seeds.

This, according to Manuel, gave farmers the opportunity to recover from their losses during calamities. [(PNA)

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Source: Gov't to lure youths to farming