Chemistry careers touted as gateway to attracting young people to agriculture

THE Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) said on Wednesday that it is asking state universities and colleges to promote agricultural chemistry as a means of indirectly attracting young people to farming-related careers.

In a briefing, BSWM Director Gina P. Nilo said its experience with mobile soil laboratories in 2024 indicated demand for certified and licensed chemists, as well as agriculturists, information technologists, science aides, and programming engineers.

The BSWM has deployed 17 mobile soil laboratories since the Department of Agriculture (DA) initiated the program, with plans to establish more than 30 to 38 provincial laboratories by 2028.

Ms. Nilo also highlighted the DA’s efforts to recruit young farmers through the Agricultural Training Institute and rural organizations, as well as the launch of the bureau’s FertRight app, aimed at assisting farmers in generating crop-specific fertilizer recommendations.

She said the bureau is helping modernize farming by improving planting, harvesting, and processing methods.

“All this modernization in agriculture is something that (could be) an attraction to all our young farmers,” Ms. Nilo said.

She also called on parents will play a major role in getting their children to farm. — Marron Joshua F. Mendoza