“Tumatanda na po ang ating mga farmers... awanen, bassiten ti mayat nga sumublat nga ubbing” - SAE Luces of Kalinga PLGU on need of mechanization for the province’s farming future

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Kalinga's farms have long fed communities and driven the province's economy, but a growing concern is casting uncertainty over the future of agriculture: the people who till the land are getting older, while fewer young people are choosing to become farmers.

For Agricultural Engineering Division (AED) Supervising Agriculturist Engineer Denecia Luces of the province of Kalinga, this is one of the biggest challenges facing the agricultural sector today.

"Tumatanda na po ang ating mga farmers... awanen, bassiten ti mayat nga sumublat nga ubbing... kasla awanen ti sumublat," Luces said during the Provincial Management Committee Meeting on July 20, stressing that the region must prepare for a future where there may not be enough farmers to sustain food production.

Luces explained that the average age of farmers in the Cordillera now ranges from 55 to 59 years old, a trend that highlights the urgent need to attract younger generations back to agriculture.

According to Luces, farm mechanization is one of the most practical solutions to the problem. Modern equipment can reduce dependence on manual labor, improve productivity, lower production costs, and make farming more efficient and appealing to young people.

Luces also noted that the Cordillera's average mechanization level is only 2.35 horsepower per hectare (hp/ha), which remains relatively low compared with other regions of the country.

"As we can see, 55 to 59 na ang average age ng ating mga farmers. So when it comes to machineries, sino ti sumublat? Our average mechanization level is only 2.35 hp/ha here in CAR, which is very low compared with other regions," Luces said.

Her remarks underscore a growing reality faced by many farming communities—not only in Kalinga but across the country—where aging farmers continue to shoulder food production while many younger people seek employment outside agriculture.

To help address this challenge, Kalinga will host the 2026 Cordillera Mechanization Roadshow, a regional initiative that aims to promote modern farming technologies and encourage greater investment in agricultural mechanization.

The two-day activity, originally scheduled for July 28–29 but moved to a later date after it coincided with the President's State of the Nation Address (SONA), is being organized by the Department of Agriculture–Regional Field Office Cordillera Administrative Region (DA-RFO-CAR), the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), the Korea Agricultural Machinery Industry Cooperative (KAMICO) through Fit Corea Trading Philippines, Inc., and the provincial governments of Kalinga and Apayao.

Around 1,000 farmers and agricultural stakeholders from Kalinga and Apayao are expected to participate, including Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco "Kiko" Tiu Laurel Jr.

The roadshow will feature agricultural machinery exhibits, technical orientation sessions, interactive discussions, and live demonstrations of modern farm equipment, including tractors, precision seeders, and other mechanized technologies designed to increase farm efficiency.

As of writing, organizers have yet to announce the final schedule of the event.

Provincial officials hope the roadshow will do more than introduce new machines. They see it as an opportunity to inspire a new generation to view agriculture as a modern, productive, and sustainable profession—one capable of carrying forward Kalinga's rich farming tradition at a time when the province needs young hands in the fields more than ever.