SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur (MindaNews / 25 October) — Only seven percent or 1,256 out of 17,315 college students in Agusan del Sur in the previous school year enrolled in agriculture-related courses, according to data from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) – Caraga Region, prompting officials in the province to undertake initiatives meant to encourage young people to take up agriculture.
These students were enrolled at the Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT), which has its main campus in Bunawan town and a satellite campus in Trento town.
“That gap [number of agriculture students] is what we need to bridge,” 2nd District Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza said during the AgSur Future Forum on October 17 at the Provincial Research, Development, and Innovation Office in Prosperidad town.
With the theme “Cultivating Roots, Empowering Youths,” the town hall-style forum was designed to inspire young Agusan del Sur students to see farming not only as a livelihood but also as a science- and technology-driven profession that can secure the province’s food future amid climate change challenges.
“We must groom a new breed of farmers who understand both the science of agriculture and the urgency of climate adaptation,” Plaza said. “The future of agriculture depends on the youth who will sustain and lead it forward.”
Plaza said ASSCAT, whose conversion into a state university has not been implemented pending compliance with requirements set by CHED, will begin offering the course Bachelor of Science in Agriculture major in Soil Science next school year. The move aims to develop local experts in sustainable farming and soil management.
Republic Act 11586 converting ASSCAT into the Agusan del Sur State University was signed into law on July 30, 2021. Section 20 of the law sets requirements, including a comprehensive range of degree programs in all levels, before the conversion could take effect.
Gov. Santiago Cane Jr. said the provincial government is offering full scholarships for students taking agriculture courses — from the undergraduate level up to doctorate level — to encourage more young people to join the sector.
He added the province’s state-of-the-art soil laboratory will serve as a training ground for future agriculture technologists. “We want our young experts to help farmers achieve yields comparable to those in Japan or Vietnam.”
Some students who joined the forum said the event has made them consider agriculture as a possible career.
“The province values farmers and never takes them for granted,” Charles Julian Bacud of Loreto National High School said.
“Ang agrikultura mao ang pundasyon sa atong probinsya” (Agriculture is the foundation of our province) Roana Raz, a student from ASSCAT, said. “We should seize this opportunity to build something meaningful for our communities.”
Matt Huan Emmanuel Maybuena, of Agusan del Sur National Science High School, said the event helped him understand the province’s sustainability programs. “We’re grateful that as youth, we were given this space to learn how the province’s programs really work,” he said, adding that he plans to pursue chemical engineering to enhance soil technology research.
The Division Federation of Supreme Secondary Learner Government of Agusan del Sur, which also took part in the forum, said in a statement that the activity “reminded us that true progress begins when the youth are empowered to take part in building a sustainable and self-reliant future. Indeed, our future is in agriculture.” (Chris V. Panganiban/MindaNews)
