NGO urges keener gov’t support for agriculture
By Janina C. Lim | Posted on April 10, 2016 11:23:00 PM
A MOVEMENT advocating a competitive agriculture sector based on modern technology proposes a 4% growth target in the sector’s behalf for the next administration.
Former agriculture secretary and Inanglupa Movement Inc. founder William D. Dar told reporters on Friday that the next government should “triple” the agricultural budget so as to adopt technologies that would boost the sector’s output.
Mr. Dar said growth in the past years has been at a meager baseline of 1.6%, notwithstanding the year-on-year target of 3% to 3.5%.
The budget for agriculture in 2015 is P86 billion, including the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) P48.697-billion appropriation and the budgets for four executive agencies under the Presidential Assistant for Food Security and Agricultural Modernization (PAFSAM).
Mr. Dar said the next administration should restore under the DA the four agencies -- the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (funded with P57.976 million in 2015); the National Food Authority (P4.25 billion); the National Irrigation Administration (P28.75 billion); and the Philippine Coconut Authority (P4.07 billion).
He said these agencies “should be part of the whole architecture” of the agriculture sector.
PAFSAM was created in 2010 “to hasten and further intensify” projects aimed at curbing rural poverty, and was assigned the responsibility of overseeing management among the four agencies.
Of the public-private partnership (PPP) program of the Aquino administration, Mr. Dar said this is beneficial but he also criticized it as a failure in the agriculture sector.
Mr. Dar encouraged more cooperation between the government and private sector to boost infrastructure and technological developments essential to agricultural growth.
“Our promotion of newer technology like hybrid crops in general will be one of the innovations,” Mr Dar said, noting that hybrid seed varieties boost yield crops by up to 30% which makes the strategy viable so as to counter the impacts of drought.
Current DA secretary Proceso J. Alcala told reporters that hybridization, along with the livestock and poultry sectors, could serve as drivers for targeted 3% to 3.5% agricultural growth this year to offset a measly 0.11% output registered last year.
Mr. Dar also said farmers should be more empowered in terms of knowledge on technology, especially in the use of climate-resilient crops.
He cited soil rejuvenation, water harvesting, agro-forestry, among others, as means for preparation against climate change.
The former agriculture chief also encouraged setting in place early warning systems for farmers and fisherfolk on the impact of climate change.
Alicia G. Ilaga, director of the DA’s Climate Change Office, said the government is preparing an integrated map that would help monitor the impact of slow onset temperature and rainfall changes, as well as weather extremes and existing hazards for certain locations down to the barangay-level. This feature will also include advisories to aid farmers’ choice on what to plant and when to plant in specific areas.
Mr. Dar said his group has submitted their ideas to four of the five presidential candidates.
On InangLupa’s suggestion for the next administration to pursue 100% rice-self sufficiency, Mr. Dar said the next leader should aim to sustain efforts of up to 95% rice-self-sufficiency.
“But if we get fortunate and we meet 100%, why not? But we ensure food security. That is our battle cry,” he said. “We will always go to that food security policy of looking at affordability and accessibility.”
Mr. Dar served about a year as acting agriculture secretary during the Estrada administration.
http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=ngo-urges-keener-gov&8217t-support-for-agriculture&id=125763_