PhilSCAT Promotes Agricultural Modernization

Lest we forget, and true to AFMA (Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act) mandate, the Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology (PhilSCAT) is promoting the use of modern agricultural technologies regardless of the brand or country of origin of such body of knowledge. This blog hopes to clarify issue that this Center is favoring specifically the Chinese agri-technologies to the detriment of others, including our locally developed ones. Currently, PhilSCAT focuses its promotion activity on the 2 commodities which are time-tested to increase farm productivity - Hybrid Rice and Agri-Mechanization.

While current PhilSCAT technologies are of Chinese-origin tested for local adaptation, this University-based Center definitely honors farmers' choice of agri-technologies they deem appropriate for their farms. PhilSCAT technologies are just another shopping options for the Filipino farmers which were proven highly adaptable under Philippine conditions.

The Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology (PhilSCAT) is a special R and D agency under the Department of Agriculture. It implements the collaborative program in agriculture and related fields between the Philippines and the People's Republic of China, with Central Luzon State University (CLSU) as the lead implementor and the Bureau of Postharvest Research and Extension (BPRE), Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) and Agricultural Training Institute (ATI) as partners. PhilSCAT's current technology scope under Phase I (2003-2008) is Hybrid Rice and Agri-mechanization. (30)