State agriculture researchers said Japanese farmers produce high yields even in small farms with the use of efficient mechanised agricultural production, while in the Philippines "man-animal" labour is still the norm.

Reynan Calderon, Bataan Peninsula State University (BPSU)-based agriculture scientist, said this following his recent speech at Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, where he presented research papers at the International Symposium on Machinery and Mechatronics for Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.  

Calderon pointed out Japan's thrust of improving the already efficient agricultural production through precision agriculture.

He said, "In Japan, even in very minimal landholdings, machines are utilised in planting and harvesting to effectively carry out specific tasks. In the Philippines, tasks are still carried out using man-animal labour."

"In Japan, small areas are utilised in farming by using greenhouses to plant crops and vegetables. Japanese farmers are equipped with skills in such a way that production can be done simultaneously, thus, making large production at small areas by as many farmers as possible," he said.

He also said, "Amazingly, they can produce crops even under harsh weather condition or even during winter season. They are utilising energy efficient light emitting diodes [LED], which is attached to the sensors. This technology is very sensitive since it can change colours from red to blue and vice versa depending on the needs for photosynthesis of the plant."

He recalled that conference speakers from countries such as Korea, Taiwan and Japan talked of national policies on food security of their respective countries, including breakthroughs in agriculture technology.