Better days ahead for agriculture sector
The Philippine agriculture sector, which has lagged behind its Asian neighbors in terms of productivity, appears headed for better times with newly- installed Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol himself promising to turn around the industry’s sluggish performance.
Pinol has put his job on the line, offering to resign if the farming industry fails to see any improvement in one year.
“Time is precious. There’s no point for me to stay if I don’t improve the growth of the agriculture sector one year after I arrive,” Piñol told The STAR.
“I will definitely turn over my post to someone better if we remain stuck in the negative. That’s my promise,” he added.
Agriculture output fell 4.5 percent in the first quarter of the year due to the prolonged dry spell and damages caused by the typhoons last year.
To ensure the growth of the sector, Piñol has crafted a blueprint of what the new agriculture department will be in the coming years with the aim of providing food for all Filipinos.
While he failed to reach his original target of 100 percent rice self-sufficiency level by the end of the Aquino administration, former agri chief Proceso Alcala has taken the agency to greater heights.
Under Alcala’s helm, rice production hit a record 18 million metric tons (MT), a level that was sustained despite the El Niño phenomenon that occurred last year.
The US Department of Agriculture reported that the Philippines was the world’s fastestgrowing rice producer from 2011 to 2014 and that rice sufficiency level rose from 81 percent in 2010 to 97 percent in 2015.
The previous administration also reached record level in agri-based exports, increasing 64 percent, constructed trading centers that allowed direct market access, maintained disease-free status of livestock and poultry sectors, built and rehabilitated farmto-market roads, and rolled out rural development projects, among others.
Alcala said the highlight of his six-year stint as agri chief was his ability bridge the gap between farmers and the government.
“We’re able to restore the trust of our farmers and fisherfolks in the government through the programs of the department,” he added.
Alcala said the new administration should continue to strive for the attainment of the 100 percent rice self-sufficiency level for the country.
“Rice remains to be the biggest issue. I can say that we’ve given a lot of interventions but I also believe that there are still shortcomings and that a lot can still be done,” he said.
“I just hope they will take their promises seriously because the people have spoken and we have to respect their decision,” Alcala added.
What to look forward to
A month after he assumed his post, Piñol had bared a long list of plans for the local agriculture sector which include achieving 100 percent rice selfsufficiency level by 2018.
“It’s no longer a choice. It has become a must to attain rice and food sufficiency. Over the next six years, we will strive very hard to produce more food for the people,” Pinol said.
“We project that we will be able to reduce the rice shortage of the country to the point that by end of 2018, we will already go 100 percent rice selfsufficiency,” he added.
The DA also aims to come up with grain surplus stocks at any give time to avoid food riot in the country especially when natural phenomena occur.
“I’m not saying that it would happen in the next six years. But our vision towards the end of this administration is to establish grain silos all over the country particularly in critical areas which will hold supply good for six months,” Piñol added.
Furthermore, a special project called Pagkain Para sa Masa will be launched in Metro Manila establishing arroz caldo feeding stations, in partnership with the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development and local government units.
“This will serve as the first step towards ensuring that the street dwellers, urban poor and the homeless will be identified and later trained for vegetable growing using the Israel Green House technology,” he said.
Piñol is set to begin the Color-Coded Agriculture Guide Map which will determine the crops or agricultural activities that would be best in a specific area based on geographic, climatic and soil type conditions.
“We will also start the National Food Consumption Quantification Survey which would determine what kind of food and the volume of food commodities are consumed by the Filipinos. This would also project the food consumption of the country in relation to population growth,” he said.
Piñol will also lead a nationwide inspection of irrigation services, dredging of silted dams and provision of shallow tube wells to ensure sufficient supply of water for the next rice planting season.
Furthermore, Piñol said he aims to conduct face-to-face interactions with stakeholders in the agriculture and fishery sectors to hear and address their concerns.
“There is an urgent need for life-saving efforts to lift up farmers and fishermen and those who depend on agriculture for their livelihood and business,” he added.
Pinol likewise plans to create a cash for work program for those affected by the El Nino phenomenon. This will include manual repair and rehabilitation of irrigation facilities, cleaning of coastal waters of garbage and planting of mangrove trees.
As the country braces for La Niña in October, Piñol said he will direct the state-run Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to include farmers in high-risk areas in the crop insurance The DA is also focusing on the country’s top 10 poorest provinces in line with the Duterte’s administration thrust of increased food production and poverty alleviation.
Through a strategy called Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD), Piñol said the department would look at the weaknesses of an area, its potentials in food production and provide livelihood programs.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) has identified the top 10 poorest areas with the highest Poverty Incidence Per Family (PIPF).
These are Lanao del Sur ( 67.3 percent), Eastern Samar ( 55.4 percent), Apayao (54.7 percent), Maguindanao (54.5 percent), Zamboanga del Norte (48 percent), Saranggani (46 percent), North Cotabato (44.8 percent), Negros Oriental (43.9 percent), and Northern and Western Samar (43.5 percent each)
Ending agricultural corruption
Since day one, the new administration has been vocal about putting an end to corruption in all departments and agencies as well as curbing smuggling in the country.
According to the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura ( SINAG), smuggling in the country has worsened under the Aquino administration and that almost P200 billion worth of agricultural goods had been smuggled into the country since 2010.
Of the P200 billion, P94 billion came from smuggled rice, followed by pork at P40 billion, and sugar at around P25 billion. The remaining value accounted for other commodities including chicken and vegetables.
SINAG noted that the market value of P200 billion translate to around P60 billion to P80 billion in lost revenues for the government since these agricultural commodities are supposed to be protected and levied a higher tariff of up to 40 percent.
Piñol plans to establish an inter-agency connectivity between the DA and the Bureau of Customs to ensure that smuggling of rice, meat, and other agricultural products will be stopped.