In his today's continuing column at the Manila Times ("There Is Hope For Philippine Agriculture" 2nd of 3 parts, 15 August 2019, manilatimes.net), new Secretary of Agriculture William Dar says:
On my very first day as acting Agriculture Secretary on August 5, I immediately communicated to the ranks… my priorities for the next 100 days.
Mr Dar lists "15 priority concerns" even as he notes that "the agriculture sector contracted by 1.27 percent in the second quarter of this year." Minus 1.27% growth in agriculture nationwide. Growing smaller, not bigger. And minus 11.9% in price of rice – good for the eaters, bad for the planters. Remember, there are 80 provinces feeling bad about it. (face image from foodevolution.com.ph, map from allposters.com)
Here is my summary of the 15 priority concerns that Mr Dar sees for the DA to confront in the next 100 days:
(1) "Properly and efficiently implement" the Rice Tariffication Law and manage the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund.
(2) Think up a "Crop Diversification Strategy" and fund it up to 2022. (I say: Do you realize that if you plant rice next to your neighbor's farm, you are competing against him?)
(3) Come up with a "Pantawid Magsasaka Program" (Scarcity Program for Farmers, my translation).
(4) Train farmers & fishers on entrepreneurship. Use cooperatives and other associations. (Me, I prefer the real coops because they do not have perpetual presidents with vested interests.)
(5) "Implement climate change and disaster risk reduction programs," up to storing the grains in safe warehouses.
(6) "Assist the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in strengthening its agriculture and fishery program."
(7) Revise DA vision and mission to Mr Dar's "New Thinking in Agriculture" "to attain a 'food-secure' Philippines" and multiply the number of successful farmers and fishers.
(8) "Sustain a massive information and communication campaign, (identifying and) highlighting countryside heroes."
(9) "Review and reorient existing DA programs and projects towards increasing" incomes of farmers and fishers.
(10) "Reshape and reprogram the budget of DA for 2020."
(11) "Enhance partnership with the private sector" such as in contract growing, marketing and training of groups of farmers.
(12) "Strengthen the organizational structure of DA including systems and processes for efficient and effective governance."
(13) Get the state colleges and universities to help train farmers and fishers to become entrepreneurs.
(14) "Coordinate/Collaborate with the Department of Trade and Industry on price stabilization and complementation of agricultural products as well as strengthening quarantine measures against poultry and livestock diseases."
(15) Review restrictive and constrictive policies on agriculture, fishery, agribusiness, credit, among others. For instance, the possibility of lifting the ban on export of mature coconuts and corn."
About coconuts, I did not know that! The Philippines is the 2nd largest producer of products after Indonesia (US Library, countrystudies.us) – so, we Filipinos ourselves are the ones constricting the growth of our own big industry?!
Really, our new Secretary of Agriculture has much work to do – we must help. We cannot simply watch him doing right or wrong! If we love our country.@517
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