Filipino academics tour Australia to learn innovative farming practices

• Academics and students from the University of Philippines Los Banos College of Agriculture will tour Australia this week, meeting with leading industry experts and local growers.
• Australian growers are at the forefront of agricultural R&D and uniquely placed to share their insights and support the adoption of best farming practices and systems in rural communities around the world.
• The Filipino academics and students will tour facilities and be exposed to the research programs of leading Australian universities and research and extension organisations.

Academics and students from a leading university in the Philippines will tour throughout New South Wales and Queensland this week, meeting with leading industry experts and local growers as part of the Connections program, designed to showcase and share best local farming practices with the international agricultural community.

The Connections program, launched in 2010, aims to build and strengthen partnerships with key agricultural universities and institutions committed to agricultural development.  By exposing participants to different agricultural systems from other countries around the world, they can use the knowledge acquired during the study tour to help advance the agriculture industry in their own country.

The Connections program supports Syngenta’s Good Growth Plan, a series of six commitments to make a measurable, positive and sustained difference for growers and rural communities across the world. 

According to Paul Luxton, Syngenta Territory Head – Australasia, the Connections program is an important tool for sharing Australia’s leading agricultural practices and technology with international stakeholders.

“We are delighted to host seven researchers, academics and Masters students from the prestigious University of Philippines Los Banos College of Agriculture and develop their understanding of innovative, sustainable farming practices,” Mr Luxton said.

“Australian growers are at the forefront of agricultural research and development, meaning we are uniquely placed to share our insights and support the adoption of best farming practices and systems in international rural communities.”

Through the Connections Study Tour, participants will have the opportunity to meet with leading industry researchers and experts to gain a greater understanding of Australian agriculture.  This Connections program will focus on precision farming methods, low-resource environment technologies and genomics, with an emphasis on horticulture, glasshouses and controlled environment facilities.

The Filipino academics and students will meet with researchers and lecturers from some of Australia’s leading universities, including Charles Sturt University, Sydney University, Western Sydney University, University of Queensland and University of Southern Queensland. 

Other highlights from the Filipino academics and students two week-long visit include seeing the glasshouse and controlled environment facilities at Charles Sturt University, touring the NSW Department of Primary Industries Narrandera Fisheries Centre and learning about at FarmLink, a leading not-for-profit agricultural research and extension organisation.

The seven academics and students are from the University of Philippines at Los Banos (UPLB) College of Agriculture were chosen for their commitment to agricultural development and ability to share learnings with agriculture students and rural communities:

• Dr. Enrico Supangco, Dean of UPLB College of Agriculture
• Pompe Sta. Cruz, Professor
• Edna Aguilar, Professor
• Ann Magnaye, Researcher
• Jocelyn Labios, Researcher
• Arsenio Bulfa, Masters Student
• Rica Saludares, Masters Student

The visit follows a Connections study tour in July which saw 20 agriculture students from universities around Australia travel to the Philippines to learn about the challenges local farmers face, while being exposed to rural development and smallholder farming. 

The Connections program is supported by Syngenta and Rimfire Resources.

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For more information, please contact Courtney Williams on 0409 499 925.

Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter® at www.twitter.com/Syngenta