Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 25) — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. laid out his plans for the country’s agriculture sector, focusing on improving productivity.
In his first State of the Nation Address, Marcos acknowledged the short- and long-term effects if the government fails to address the food supply problem, like the continued rise in prices of goods, which will further burden Filipinos.
“Upang masuportahan ang mga mamimili para mapanatili ang kanilang purchasing power or kapangyarihan sa pagbili, isinapinal ng Department of Agriculture ang planong taasan ang produksyon sa susunod na panahon ng pagtatanim o planting season, sa pamamagitan ng tulong pinansiyal at teknikal,” the president said.
[Translation: To support consumers in maintaining their purchasing power, the Department of Agriculture finalized the plan to increase production in the next planting season through financial and technical assistance.]
Marcos, who also leads the Department of Agriculture, said loans will be given to farmers, as the government makes farm inputs — like pesticides and feeds — more accessible.
For the administration’s long-term solution, Marcos hopes to improve coordination among the value chain levels in agriculture. Researching innovative ways for agriculture will also be monitored by the DA, he added.
Another priority for Marcos is modernizing agriculture, as well as expand the sectors of fisheries, hog, and chicken, using science as a means to increase production.
Marcos also reiterated his priority to improve farm-to-market roads by creating a national network.
To further help in driving prices lower for the benefit of consumers, he vowed to revive the Kadiwa centers introduced by his father.
For Jayson Cainglet, executive director of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, the president’s plans for the sector “is by and large, a welcome start.”
“The President’s SONA underscored the problem of high food prices because the cost of producing them are increasing, compounded by the unnecessary layers in the value chain. The challenge of our times is to locally produce more, and the SONA emphasized the government’s commitment to subsidize essential farm inputs — fertilizers, pesticides, feeds and fuel,” he said in a statement.
“We also commend the marching order of increasing aqua farms, hog and poultry farms as the basis to increase local production. Condoning loans of small farmers and instituting financial assistance to help farmers are positive developments for the agriculture sector,” he added.
