Efficient use of agri funds urged
The Congress has alloted a sizeable chunk to post-harvest facilities and services, 40.6 percent higher, to wit, than the previous year.
If we could utilize these added fund to help agri workers increase their yield, we will not have a shortage of supply that is the cause of price hikes.
A lawmaker is asking the Department of Agriculture to assure more efficient use of funds to keep up with the pace of farm-commodity prices.
The sector has been allocated the bulk of the 2023 national budget: P174 billion, a 20-percent increase from its P144.8 billion budget last year.
“From this huge increase, we expect nothing less than improved services for farmers and fisherfolk, and for the agency to finally address long-standing problems in the agriculture sector,” AGRI Partylist Rep. Wilbert Lee said in a press release Friday.
“Kasama dito ang tulong para sa low production cost sa pamamagitan ng access sa murang abono at pesticides, farm equipment, gumaganang irigasyon at dagdag na post-harvest facilities tulad ng cold storage at transport facilities para maiwasan ang maraming nasasayang [na produkto] lalo na sa panahon ng kalamidad.”
(Included here are assistance for low production cost through access to cheap fertilizers and pesticides, farm equipment, working irrigation and more post-harvest facilties like cold storage and transport facilities to avoid wastage)
The Congress has alloted a sizeable chunk to post-harvest facilities and services, 40.6 percent higher, to wit, than the previous year.
“Kung magagamit ang mas malaking pondong ito para tulungan ang agri workers
na mapataas ang kanilang produksyon, hindi basta-basta kukulangin ng supply na dahilan ng pagtaas ng presyo sa merkado.”
(If we could utilize these added fund to help agri workers increase their yield, we will not have a shortage of supply that is the cause of price hikes)
Prices of red onions peaked at P720 per kilo last December, a far cry from P100 per kilo in June the same year.
A kilo of local white onions also had an obscene P600 price tag.
Prices hit breakthrough levels due to low domestic production chalked up on increasing production cost, lack of post-harvest facilities and rampant agricultural smuggling.