A group of distinguished farmers in the agricultural terraces project have completed the induction program "Agricultural and Rural Tourism Industry" organized by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture in cooperation with the Cooperative Societies Council of the Philippines. The program's objective is exploring the Philippine experience in the agro-tourism industry and sustainable rural development to support the initiative of agricultural terraces carried out by the ministry.
The Deputy Minister for Agriculture Affairs, Eng. Ahmed AlEyadah, said this initiative of "Rehabilitation of Agriculture Terraces and Application of Rain Water Collection Technologies in the South Western Area of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia " comes within the National Transition Program 2020 initiative, which aims at ensuring development and food security through the rehabilitation of agricultural terraces and thus increasing the productivity of crops to achieve food security and rural development.
AlEyadah pointed out that workshops and panel discussions were conducted to shed light on the Philippine experience of agricultural and rural tourism industry, stages of its development and the successes achieved within a few years, as well as its economic, social and environmental impact on the development and sustainability of agriculture in the rural areas of the Philippines countryside.
Farmers have visited the International Exhibition of Agricultural Investment held in the Philippines, thus recognized the importance of hydroponics and organic agriculture, and explored the latest agricultural methods and modern techniques of investment in agricultural and rural tourism, AlEyadah added.