DILIMAN, Quezon City—Twenty three young farmers from all over the country are now gearing up for an intensive 11-month on-farm training in Japan.

As part of the Young Filipino Farmers’ Training Program in Japan (YFFTPJ), these individuals will be given the opportunity to enhance their farming skills and gain new knowledge on different technologies in agriculture.

The Agricultural Training Institute (ATI), as the implementer of the program, welcomed this year’s batch of trainees as the Pre-departure Orientation Course (PDOC) officially kicked off.

During the PDOC opening ceremony, ATI Officer-in-Charge Director Luz Taposok lauded the trainees as they will be the new generation of farmers who will feed the nation in the near future. She then challenged them to focus on their tasks and take all the opportunities to learn new technologies during their stay in Japan.

Japan Agricultural Exchange Council (JAEC) Local Coordinator Koji Kaneda shared some tips with the trainees, such as learning the language and the culture for easy interaction with their Japanese host farmers. He encouraged them to take advantage of the support from the implementing agencies, their families, and friends. He advised the trainees to “enjoy, appreciate, and take care.”

ATI Deputy Director Alfredo Aton also expressed support to the young farmers, urging them to replicate the Japanese technologies that will be taught to them, upon their return, to help uplift the country’s agriculture sector.

The PDOC is a 75-day preparatory training which focuses on values formation, computer literacy, Nihonggo language, Japanese culture, and technical aspects in the production of various agricultural commodities. Prior to this, the trainees participated in the 40-day Home-Stay Module with YFFTPJ alumni members and farmer-mentors in different parts of the country which exposed them to various farm activities.

The PDOC is set to conclude on April 9, 2018 as the young farmers will leave for Japan by April 13. Upon their return, the trainees are expected to apply the skills and knowledge they gained from their Japanese mentors through their chosen agricultural venture which will be provided with Php50,000 capital under the program.

The YFFTPJ is the Philippines’ counterpart for the ASEAN Young Farmer Leaders Training Program in Japan. The ATI spearheads its implementation in partnership with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and JAEC.

The opening ceremony for the PDOC was held last January 31 at the ATI Serrano Hall and was attended by ATI and JAEC officials.