Secretary of Agriculture William Dar/Manong Willie is part of the PRRD delegation to Russia this time. Frankly, I did not think we could learn anything new in agriculture by visiting Russia – and so I googled, and I was surprised!
I did not know and I wanted to satisfy my scholarly curiosity, and now I have just found out that we have much to learn from Russia.
1st Russian surprise:
In only 5 years, Russia became #1 exporter of grains.
In only 5 years, Russia became #1 exporter of grains.
Neil Buckley says, "Agriculture has overtaken arms sales to become Russia’s second-biggest export sector" (19 April 2017, "Russian Agriculture Sector Flourishes Amid Sanctions," Financial Times, ft.com). This is an interesting turnaround that the Philippines can learn much from, starting when the EU and the US "imposed sanctions on parts of Russia’s economy following military intervention in Ukraine 2014." The turnaround has been achieved in only 5 years! Last year, Russia became the world's biggest exporter of grains at more than 34m tonnes. Mr Buckley says:
2nd Russian surprise:
The (turnaround) is striking since… 15 years ago… Russia was a net importer.
The (turnaround) is striking since… 15 years ago… Russia was a net importer.
How do you explain that?! Mr Buckley says:
The success goes beyond grain. Russia has fully substituted imports with domestic production of pork and chicken. It has become a top producer of sugar beet; greenhouse vegetable production last year was up 30 per cent on the year before.
So, Zernograd says, "Enterprising farmers have overcome the legacy of Soviet collectivization" (01 December 2018, The Economist, economist.com, where the image above comes from). When brothers Yuri and Aleksandr Peretyatko began grain farming in the early 1990s, "we didn’t even have bicycles," says Aleksandr. Now they ride in new white Lexus suvs, their children in Range Rovers. The Peretyatko brothers embody the optimism in Russian agriculture. In 2016, Russia became the world's leading exporter of wheat for the first time. "Grain is our second oil," Aleksandr Tkachev, Agriculture Minister, said.
3rd Russian surprise:
Enterprising farmers helped overcome limiting legacy.
Enterprising farmers helped overcome limiting legacy.
The Lexus-riding brothers Peretyatkos had to travel to Europe to study best practices! They did not know what private ownership meant, and how people worked for themselves!
4th Russian surprise:
Government investments and support must be there.
Government investments and support must be there.
Yes, the Russian government remained on top of the situation. Zernograd says:
Over the ensuing decades, investments in machinery, land and supplies accumulated; the government made agriculture a national priority, offering subsidies and support
The Philippine delegation will probably attend the international exhibition "Golden Autumn" in Moscow, which has been held every October since 2000. Ambassador Carlos D Sorreta said after their 2017 visit ("PHL Examines Russian Agricultural Advances At Golden Autumn In Moscow," 13 October 2017, Department of Foreign Affairs, dfa.gov.ph):
Russia is a leader in agriculture and agribusiness, as well as a top manufacturer of agricultural equipment. In recent years, Russia has devoted even more resources and attention to reinforcing its agricultural sector. There is much that we can learn…
That is why we are in Russia!
In the end, the government must be Agriculture's Patron.@517
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