The Philippine Society of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers (PSABE) is holding its 30th Agricultural Engineering Week on April 21 to 27 in Bacolod City, with the organization expecting attendance exceeding the approximately 1,700 individuals who attended the previous year’s convention in Davao City.

The theme for the 30th Agricultural Engineering Week is “Agricultural and Biosystems Engineers: Catalysts of Infrastructure Modernization in Agriculture and Fisheries.” It will highlight the “technologization” of the agriculture sector across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“What we are witnessing right now in the agriculture sectors of the Philippines and parts of Asia is ‘technologization’ where infrastructure modernization are among the components. So the 30th Agricultural Engineering Week this coming April 21 to 27 will also highlight the technologies needed for the modernization of agriculture and fisheries, and the need for agricultural and biosystems engineers to intensify their roles for increased and efficient food and crop production,” said PSABE President and ASEAN Engineer Aldrin Badua.

The week-long celebration this April in Bacolod City will include, the conference, exhibits, technology demonstrations, plenary, and technical papers presentations on the development and trends in renewable energy and rural electrification; environmental and waste management; agricultural machinery; irrigation and drainage; soil and water conservation; postharvest and processing; fishery and aquaculture resources engineering; forest product resource engineering; and related fields.

The 30th Agricultural Engineering Week will be held alongside the 69th PSABE Annual Convention and the 16th International Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Conference and Exhibition.

Badua said that since PSABE is already recognized in Asia, attendees from the region are expected to attend the 30th Agricultural Engineering Week.

“We are expecting participants from outside the Philippines as PSABE has already coordination and linkages with agricultural and biosystems engineers in parts of Asia,” he added.