The National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) on Tuesday hosted its 4th annual research conference, where it was suggested that technology be implemented into the agricultural sector to make the sector more interesting for youths.
Head of NAREI, Dr Oudho Homenauth told the gathering that technology should be enfolded since it is pivotal to foster the next generation of farmers.
“Embracing technology is necessary to nurture the next generation of farmers. We need to make agriculture more tech-savvy. Robotics, sensors, and the internet can make the agriculture sector more interesting and exciting for young people,” he said.
Meanwhile, he explained that this new generation can help in the transformation of farming, leading us into a high-tech profession that will need skill-sets that include engineering, computing and data analytics.
“The current generation, as well as future generations, have different needs and interests and it is imperative that we continue to excite and enthuse them so that more young people can get into the sector.”
The conference was held in recognition of Agriculture Month, and themed “Paving the way for sustainable development through innovative and adaptive research”. This year’s theme aligns with the Agriculture Month 2019 theme which is “Sustainable agriculture for ensuring food safety and a green economy”. By having a theme in line with the green development strategy, NAREI believes that the identification of new technologies through innovative and adaptive research will contribute significantly to agricultural productivity.
