More than 300 professional agriculturists in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) are updating their technical knowledge on new technologies that they can bring back to their posts for better food production.

“We gather all agriculturists interested to participate so that they could gain continuous professional development (CPD) units for them to renew PRC (Professional Regulatory Commission) prescribed by the CPD law,” said Gerardo Banawa, regional president of the Philippine Association of Agriculturists (PAA) on the sidelines of the group’s three-day regional convention here.

More than gaining CPD units, Banawa said the event aims to boost their knowledge on technologies like the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in farming and agricultural activities.

“Computer-based agriculture is now going towards digitalization, which is a combination of updated technologies and strategies to increase the yield of crops,” he said.

“We need food security and food sufficiency and we can only achieve that if there is cooperation between the government and the private because they will complement each other to boost or increase production to feed the nation,” he added.

He said that professional agriculturists are connected to the local government units — the municipalities and provinces, which have a direct link to the farmers, hence the need for updated knowledge on the correct variety, techniques, use of fertilizer and pesticide, which must be implemented to ensure better yield.

Organized about nine years, the regional PAA is an accredited integrated professional organization as well as a civil society organization.

Banawa said that since the creation of the regional chapter, they have organized three face-to-face conventions and two online conventions during the pandemic.

“Though the convention, we can also contribute to their completion of the required 30 units of CPD to allow them to renew their license with the PRC,” he said.

Banawa, who retired as an agriculturist from the Department of Agriculture in January this year, said professionalizing the food production industry is necessary especially with the demand for food sustainability, security and safety.

“Agriculture and farming is a profession that will never be phased out but will continue to be in demand while there are people who eat. We need to make sure that despite challenges in the industry like changes in climate, food production and sustainability is required,” he added. (PNA)