PH Agriculture Dept. Eyes Chinese Smart Farming Tech for Modernization

The Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Thursday it is studying the use of smart farming technology from China aimed to modernize farming in the Philippines. Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. visited the Zhejiang Huihong Fruit and Vegetable Farm in China on Aug. 24, inspecting digital systems used to monitor crops and manage farm operations. Zheng Yunyu, founder of Zhejiang Huihong Biotechnology Co. Ltd., briefed the Philippine delegation on the farm’s smart agriculture data platform, which integrates environmental monitoring, water and fertilizer management, and real-time production data. Officials also toured the farm’s greenhouses, examined fruit and vegetable cultivation practices at the grape and plum growing operation. Mr. Laurel said the Philippines should not hesitate to adopt farming approaches that have been proven elsewhere. “We have to modernize agriculture, and we have to find the right technology that will allow us to leapfrog,” Mr. Laurel said in a statement. “There’s nothing wrong with copying the success of others,” he added. Mr. Laurel said there is room for cooperation between the Philippines and China and expressed interest in translating the exchange into practical collaboration. The DA said cooperation could focus on technology transfer and industry partnerships in precision agriculture, crop production, and ecological farming, noting that the bigger task would be determining which technologies can work economically and effectively in Philippine farms. — Marron Joshua F. Mendoza