Bhutan minister says farming as a way of life under threat

BILAR, Bohol – Farming as a way of life is under threat.

This warning was issued by Bhutan agriculture minister Lyonpo Sangay Ngedup to farmers from five nations that converged in this agricultural town on Oct. 18-20 in observance of World Food Day. “Rapid industrialization is threatening farming as a way of life,” Ngedup said a gathering of about 500 people inside the Central Visayas State College of Agriculture, Forestry and Technology (CVSCAFT) main

campus gym Thursday.

He was the keynote speaker in the gathering was organized by the Southeast Asia Regional Initiatives from Community Empowerment (Searice) an NGO that promotes community-based initiatives that address foodsecurity. Aside from Bhutan and host Philippines , the other countries represented in the three-day gathering are the Thailand , Laos and Vietnam .

Speaking in fluent English, Ngedup noted that the younger generations are leaving the farms, leaving the older generations to man them. “We cannot allow this to happen,” he added. He urged governments to look deeper into the needs of farmers to find out what will encourage them to remain in the farms and to make rural life more attractive. Ngedup said governments should give importance to farmers, support them and provide them the necessaryenvironment and help them realize their aspirations. “Who doesn't have aspirations?” he asked.

For the farmer, the agriculture minister said the most important aspiration is self-sufficiency and food security. Going beyond that, he said farmers also aspire for a better life for their children. “When you look at the urban dwellers and see the better luxury that they enjoy, you aspire that also,” the minister noted. He paid tribute to Searice saying the congress allowed the participants to “draw inspiration from each other, to try to understand each other's inspirations”. While reminding farmers of the need to understand their responsibilities of not only feeding their communities but the world as a whole, Lyonpo said leaders should also understand the needs of the farmers. “A lot has been said about the importance of rice, about the importance of agriculture in our lives,” he noted.

But he pointed to the need to look deeper into sustainability and food security. “How much do we understand about sustainability? How much do we understand about food security?” he added. During Thursday's gathering, Ngedup presided over the launching of the Bilar grain, a native variety that local farmers are cultivating. He was assisted by Representatives Eladio Jala and Edgar Chatto and Bilar Mayor Fanuel Cadeliña. Jala agreed with Ngedup, noting that there are fewer agriculture students enrolled at the CVSCAFT. Chatto said that while Bohol is opening up as a tourism destination, tourism cannot substitute agriculture as an economic driver.

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