Some 21 Dual Agritech scholars and faculty facilitators from Dagatan Family Farm School Inc. (DFFS) visited the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) on Aug. 27 to learn how digital tools and modern technologies are changing agriculture.
The visit covered smart farming, agricultural modernization and digital agriculture, giving the young farmers a look at technologies aimed at reducing production costs and improving farm incomes.
Reframing farming as smart enterprise
SEARCA Deputy Director for Administration Rico Ancog welcomed the delegation and encouraged the scholars to help change the perception of farming from traditional, labor-intensive work to a technology-driven and profitable enterprise.
Ancog said farmer-centered technologies, including soil sensors and crop health monitoring tools, can help reduce production costs and improve yields, particularly in the Philippines, where farming costs remain relatively high.
He also discussed SEARCA's 12th Five-Year Development Plan, Sustainable Transformation of Agricultural Systems through Innovation in Southeast Asia, or Sustain Southeast Asia. He encouraged the students to explore the center’s master’s and doctorate scholarships, training programs, research grants and incubation platforms.
“We hope that young people like you think of innovation — tools, techniques, technologies, practices that we can use so that we can reduce the production cost, increase value, and translate that into an increase in income,” Ancog said.
From drones to robots
Emil John Cabrera, program head of SEARCA’s Emerging Innovation for Growth Department, led a session on open innovation, agri-incubation, and knowledge and technology transfer.
Cabrera introduced technologies used in modern agriculture, including drones, Internet of Things soil sensors, precision automation and controlled-environment systems.
He also presented solutions supported by SEARCA’s Grants for Research toward Agricultural Innovative Solutions, or Grains, including the Airin automated irrigation system, Archie pest-control robot, artificial intelligence-driven fish-feeding systems, and microclimate and weather-monitoring tools.
The technologies demonstrate how automation and data can help farmers make more precise decisions on water, nutrients and pest control while reducing waste.
The scholars also discussed which smart farming tools they would most like to use and watched an episode of SEARCA’s Youth in Agri Talk Show focused on climate action.
The visit included a tour of the SEARCA Hub for Agriculture and Rural Innovation for the Next Generation, or Sharing Agri Museum.
Bringing innovation back to the farm school
Jeremy Feria, DFFS program director and head of external affairs for Dual Agritech, thanked SEARCA for hosting the study visit and sharing its expertise with the scholars.
Feria said lessons and practical techniques from the visit will be incorporated into DFFS dual-training modules for future students, building on the schools’ continuing collaboration.
DFFS is recognized by the Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Training Institute as an agricultural learning site and is the first family farm school in Asia.
The school previously visited SEARCA in 2023 for innovation learning activities.
The latest visit builds on that collaboration as the two institutions work to expose young farmers to technologies that can make agriculture more efficient, climate-resilient and profitable.