CAMILING, Tarlac – Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss encouraged young Filipinos to take the career path of agriculture, and avail his country’s internship program.
MASHAV, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation, provides an 11-month agricultural internship program to students to equip them with the modern agricultural toolset and knowledge that they could later on implement in their home countries.
“What we wanted is to encourage more of the youth here and the graduates of the university to go to Israel for the internship program because we really need them to deal with the issue of agricultural productivity and food security in the Philippines,” the envoy said during his visit to MASHAV alumni and Agrostudies graduates of Tarlac Agricultural University (TAU),
Fluss added that the promotion of smart agriculture among young Filipinos addresses the ageing crisis in farming and agriculture in the country.
“We see that the age of average farmers is becoming more than 55 years old. We need to work with the younger generation to show them that they can also make money with agriculture as entrepreneurs. This also means better quality food and vegetables without the need to import,” he stressed.
The program aims to enhance their consistency, skills, professionalism and understanding of smart agriculture with the help of Israeli farmers.
Meanwhile, TAU Research, Extension and Training Vice President Edmar Franquera thanked Israel for the shared knowledge and best practices in modern agriculture, and expressed his anticipation for the innovation and opportunities in local agriculture.
“The sharing of insights and experiences underscore the vital role of cooperation in tackling challenges and seizing the opportunities for the agricultural sector. The expertise brought forth by our students from Israel has been valuable,” he stated.
On another note, Fluss visited TAU’s Sustainable Mechanized Agriculture for Research and Technology (SMART) Agriculture Center where students operated and showcased the features of the automated greenhouses.
Among the projects donated by Israel at the facility was the P670,000-worth automated drip system.
Established in 2019, TAU SMART Agriculture Center has four-fold functions covering instruction, research, extension, and production. (CLJD/TJBM PIA-Region 3, Tarlac)