230,000 hectares of free gov’t farmlands await agriculture graduates

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has identified 230,000 hectares of government-owned lands that may be distributed to agriculture graduates for free as part of its latest program.

The agency first announced the project “DAR-to-Door” last year to encourage Filipinos with agriculture degrees to stay in the country by giving them free farmlands that they could cultivate. This would also allow them to tap the Department of Agriculture for affordable loans for their starting capital.

In a statement, Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said most agriculture graduates seek greener pastures overseas than in local agricultural fields. The laggard growth of the industry and its slow adaptation of modern technologies remain major disincentives for them.

During the academic year 2017-2018, the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) reported that there were only 26,861 graduates of academic degrees in agriculture from state universities and colleges, government schools and local universities and colleges.

Dwindling numbers are expected to continue over the years just when most of the country’s farmers are nearing retirement.

“To encourage our youth, to cure the defect, we need to give lands to our agriculture graduates to revive their interest in farming by giving them their own farm laboratories. They could use these to study new technologies to further improve productivity in rural areas,” Castriciones said.

The DAR is set to accept applications for the program starting Thursday, following the publication of the administrative order.

Those who are interested must secure the following requirements: application form from DAR, proof of identification, letter of intent by the applicant and notarized certificate affirming that the applicant is a graduate of a four-year bachelor’s degree in agriculture (or related fields) from a CHEd-recognized institution. INQ