AgriLink ’11 highlights farm integration

Integration is a topic in agriculture that continues to gain importance due to renewed emphasis on sustainability as well as enhanced productivity, profitability and global competitiveness. Most farming systems today focus on large-scale, monoculture production systems, which can work well in generating revenue on a short-term basis, but there is apparent need for making these more eco-friendly and sustainable. There are also added concerns for technical, economic and structural developments to agricultural systems that would be more suitable to small farmers.

According to Foundation for Resource Linkage and Development (FRLD) president Antonio V. Roces, “one way of improving the current agricultural approach is for farmers and stakeholders to work together in enhanced, integrated production systems which integrate soil quality enhancement, reduction of contamination and establishes stronger farming communities with better revenues. The challenge for the government, the private sector and our farmers is to coordinate and complement with each other to adopt proven technologies and management systems in the development of these integrated farming systems.”

From October 6 to 8, FRLD, in its 18th year, will hold the country’s largest and most influential trade fair on agriculture, aquaculture and food-“AgriLink, AquaLink and FoodLink.” To be held at the World Trade Center, the event’s theme, “Integration: Key to Sustainable Agriculture,” seeks to promote this holistic integration concept and approach toward a more productive, efficient and self-sustaining Philippine agribusiness.

Roces said, “This year’s AgriLink seeks to help in the process of effectively linking our farmers to the market and maximize their benefits from the value chain.”