Conclusion
FOR the Philippines to achieve food security, three major hurdles must be overcome: low farm productivity, low farm- mechanization level and inadequate postharvest facilities.
According to the state’s draft economic blueprint, the former is caused by limited access to credit and insurance.
The draft Philippine Development Plan (PDP) noted that population growth and aging farmers pose a threat to the local agriculture sector. As the country’s population rises, more resources are needed to produce food. And as farmers and fishermen age, there could be a drop in production.
“The average age of palay, corn, bangus [milkfish] and tilapia farm operators range from 48 to 55. While the sector’s work force gets older, the younger population finds more attractive employment opportunities outside the agriculture sector. If this situation persists, food production may be threatened.”
For the crops subsector, the government is targeting to hike production by 2 percent to 3 percent annually from 2017 to 2022. To hit these goals, the draft PDP indicated that paddy-rice output should grow by 3.95 percent this year, 4.2 percent in 2018, 4.32 percent in 2019, 4.36 percent in 2020, 4.41 percent in 2021 and 4.45 percent in 2022.
Livestock and poultry production should also grow by 3 percent to 4 percent annually, and forestry by 2 percent to 3 percent.
Encouragement
THE government is also targeting to increase commercial fishing production by 2.5 percent and municipal fishing by 1 percent annually between 2017 and 2022. Aquaculture production-growth target was set by the government at 5 percent every year.
“In the next medium term, the desired outcomes for the agriculture, forestry and fishing [AFF] sector are a) to expand economic opportunities of those who are currently engaged in producing AFF products and b) increase access to economic opportunities by small farmers and fishermen, who are typically subsistence producers and have limited market participation,” the PDP draft read.
“Providing equal opportunities for both the existing producers to expand and the marginalized farmers to participate in the market would reduce inequalities in economic opportunities,” it added.
Some of the interventions in the agriculture sector that the national government are looking at in the next six years are construction of new and maintenance of existing irrigation systems.
The government also plans to encourage farmers, especially the traditional ones, to embrace and utilize technologies in farm of developed farm machineries in pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest periods. On top of which, the government will also promote the adoption and use of high-yielding and stress-tolerant varieties of crops and quality fry of
fish species.
HVC
THE development of the high-value crops sector, which is considerably until now an undeveloped department of agriculture, is also a part of the government’s six-year plan.
Among the commodities that could be developed based on vulnerability and suitability analysis, as well as value-chain analysis of DA, include mango for Ilocos, coffee for the Cordillera Administrave Region (CAR); dairy cattle for the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) area; calamansi for Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan); abaca for Bicol and Eastern Visayas; rubber for Zamboanga peninsula, banana for Northern Mindanao; and cacao for the Davao region.
The government is also keen on improving and expanding the market of Philippine farm products, not just locally but also internationally. It intends to strengthen linkages between small farmers and local markets, as well as open new international markets for the country’s farm goods.
Legislation
IN terms of legislative agenda, the government is planning to amend the mandate of the National Food Authority (NFA), decoupling its regulatory and proprietary functions. The draft PDP said the NFA will continue to exist, but its role will focus on beefing up the rice buffer for food security.
The government also pointed out the need to amend the Agricultural Tariffication Act (ATA) of 1996, which imposes quantitative restriction (QR) on rice, after the eventuality of the expiration of the waiver of the Philippines’s right to QR on rice. The latter has a June 30 deadline in the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The Philippines opened up its agricultural market to other WTO member‐countries establishing a tariffication system through the ATA or Republic Act 8178, a policy paper submitted to the Food and Fertilizer Technology Center read.
“As a safety net, an effective rice program will be developed by the DA to assist rice farmers who will be dislodged from rice cultivation because of their inability to compete with possible cheaper rice to come in,” the PDP chapter draft read.
“Moreover, the tariff proceeds from rice imports shall be ploughed back to the rice sector,” it added.
Assessment
THE disposal of the P75-billion coconut- levy fund and other related remaining assets that are yet to be assessed is also a priority of the government, according to the draft PDP.
For his part, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said the agriculture sector should expect more from his agency, promising the DA would roll out “better” programs starting 2018.
“When the budgeting for 2018 comes along sometime early next year, I will already be able to lay down the programs and projects, which would be reflective of the directions for agriculture and fisheries as set by President Duterte,” Piñol said in a Facebook post on Christmas Day.
According to the social-media user DA chief, these programs and projects would be more focused on food production, poverty alleviation and greater contribution by the agriculture and fisheries sectors to national growth.
“Those who expressed amazement at the speed with which I do things and implement programs are even in for bigger surprises,” Piñol said. “I’m just warming up. You have to understand that the budget and programs I am implementing now were crafted by the previous officials of the DA.”
Image credits: Nonie Reyes