Government boosts support services to farmers, fisherfolk
THE Agriculture sector remains of crucial importance to the Philippine economy. However, limited diversification and low production output are the most important challenges which constrain agricultural transformation in the country, Department of Agriculture (DA) studies revealed.
Long standing challenges that hamper productivity include limited access to credit and agricultural insurance, low farm mechanization and inadequate postharvest facilities, inadequate irrigation, minimal support to research and development. There is also limited connectivity between production areas and markets thus, resulting to overproduction in some areas.
The prospects for Philippine agriculture’s growth within the next three years may mark the beginning of real transformation as the Duterte administration remains focused on boosting support services to farmers and fisherfolk.
Such intervention was the construction of around 202 solar powered irrigation system that would cover some 2,418 hectares in agricultural provinces all over the country, a DA report obtained by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) showed.
At present, there are 52 units completed, 98 ongoing installation, and 52 in the pipeline.
As of March 2019, the DA also distributed a total of 46,945 postharvest machinery and equipment such as tillers, tractors, seeders, threshers, rice planters, harvesters, and irrigation pumps to eligible farmers, rice farm associations, and registered rice cooperatives, the report further stated.
A total of 1,598 kilometers of farm-to-market roads were also constructed by the government under the present administration to address the problem of connecting farm produce direct to the market, thus eliminating middlemen.
To further help the farmers and fisherfolk increase their income, the DA has established a total of 11 agricultural trading centers and has put up 192 Tienda units all over the country wherein farmers and fishers could directly sell their produce, and for consumers to be able to access these products at its farm gate price.
The government has also released a total of PHP2 billion as easy access credit to farmers with a 90 percent repayment rate as of May 2019.
The DA, through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), has also distributed a total of 10,278 fiberglass reinforced plastic bancas which benefited some 6,273 fisherfolk.
Some PHP226 million worth of livelihood assistance were also awarded to outstanding coastal local government units through the Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan (MMK) program of BFAR, the DA report also revealed.
The MMK program promotes fisheries protection and conservation, highlights the value of sustainable management of fisheries and aquatic resources, and encourages stakeholders’ engagement in guarding the seas.
The LGUS were assessed based on five criteria — no illegal fishing; observance of off-fishing season; declaration of marine protected areas; clean, coastal waters without any garbage or industrial effluence flowing to the sea; and effective mangrove protection and rehabilitation program./pna