FOOD exporters asked the Philippine government to allow the duty-free importation of equipment and inputs used in agricultural production for 10 years as one way of ensuring food security and spurring local and foreign investments in the farm sector.

Roberto Amores, president of the Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Inc. (Philfoodex), made this recommendation during the recent Food Summit held in Clark, Pampanga.

One of the most crucial agriculture input that is imported and is slapped a tariff is fertilizer. Agriculture officials noted the price of fertilizer has gone up by as much as 68 percent to P1,350 per 50-kilogram bag, from a little over P800 price level registered  last December.

Aside from scrapping tariffs on crucial farm inputs and equipment, Amores said the government should also find ways to make agriculture production more competitive for investors.

For one, some agriculture ventures also make use of fuel and power, such as sugar milling. Earlier, sugar producers cited the increasing cost of fuel and the high cost of power as factors that threaten their competitiveness.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) itself has admitted that it is trying to secure more investments to develop the local farm sector.

Amores also batted for the passage of the farmland-as-collateral bill as a way to make the sector more attractive to investors.

Agriculture in the Philippines is considered a risky venture as there are not enough safeguards, such as an effective crop-insurance scheme, to ensure that investors will be shielded from losses caused by natural calamities.

Meanwhile, Amores called for a moratorium on the conversion of farmlands for other uses, such as golf courses and subdivision, as a way of ensuring food security in the country.

Land conversion, the decline in farmers’ productivity and the lack of government spending in agriculture are being cited as factors behind the current dilemma facing the government in feeding its population.

FOOD exporters asked the Philippine government to allow the duty-free importation of equipment and inputs used in agricultural production for 10 years as one way of ensuring food security and spurring local and foreign investments in the farm sector.

A LEGISLATOR urged his colleagues to speed up passage of the National Land Use Act included in the five-point action plan of Speaker Prospero Nograles to address the rising cost and limited supply of rice and achieve genuine food security.

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ENVIRONMENT Secretary Lito Atienza will meet with executives of some of the world’s giant mining companies to encourage more mining investments in the Philippines during the Asia Mining Congress to be held this week in Singapore.

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