CSU LEADS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SMART AGRICULTURE 2023

By Office of the University President

Posted on September 28, 2023

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Recognizing the need to secure an agriculturally sustainable future, Cagayan State University takes the lead in shaping the agriculture landscape through the conduct of the International Conference on SMART Agriculture today, September 28, 2023, at the Claude Andrews Convention Center at CSU-Andrews Campus. The conversation pursued the direction of “Shaping The Futures of Agriculture: Trends and Insights in SMART Agriculture.”
The conference was attended on-site by 90 participants and was joined online by 110 participants via Zoom. 10 countries were represented in the conference which are Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, USA, Cambodia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Singapore, and the Philippines. The delegates stemmed from 34 state universities, 6 private universities, and 5 government offices.
“Smart Agriculture is the future of Agriculture.” This is the main message of University President Urdujah G. Alvarado during her opening message as the Conference Chair where she emphasized the need to redefine and adapt to technology in order for the agriculture sector to thrive. This is seconded by Regional Director Dionisio C. Ledres, Jr. in his welcome message.
The conference was forged through the reinforcement of its collaborators. Messages of Support from Commission on Higher Education Commissioner Aldrin A. Darilag, 3rd District of Cagayan Congressman Joseph L. Lara, and Chairman of CSU Board of Regents Ronald L. Adamat which inspired the participants on the importance of agriculture and innovation. Video messages from the heads of the different international university partners were also presented to the group.
To set the mood of the discussion, the keynote speech was delivered by Dr. Junel B. Soriano, Director of the Department of Agriculture - Bureau of Agricultural Research, who expounded on the different potentials and innovation in Smart Agriculture which can stimulate economic growth and enhance the livelihood of rural communities.
The various best practices of Smart Agriculture were detailed during the Plenary Sessions where the speakers including Dr. Thammasak Thongket from Naresuan University, Thailand presented the results of his study entitled, “Illuminate Your Harvest: Harnessing LED Lighting for Functional Vegetables”. This is followed by the afternoon plenary speakers which include Dr. Rosnani Hasham who talked about “Transforming Agricultural Research into Product Development”. Dr. John Paolo R. Rivera, OIC-Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management tackled “Agri Eco-Tourism for Sustainable Communities”. Dr. Zulhamsyah Imran of SEAMEO BIOTROP, Indonesia shared his “Insightful Perspective on Smart Agriculture”. Dr. Jonathan Aguilar from Kansas State University continued the discussion on “Closing the Yield Gap through SMART Water Management”. To end the first day, Engr. Dolores Mae Reonal Bureau of Soils and Water Management shared her expertise on “Soils and Water Management for Sustainability”.
The event also witnessed the Memorandum of Agreement signing by CSU and DA-ACEF and the awarding of grants for research project assistance by Dr. Junel B. Soriano and the DA-BAR Projects Proponents.