Yap says agriculture sector managed to post slight growth last year

MANILA, Philippines - Agriculture Secretary Arthur C. Yap expressed confidence yesterday that the agriculture sector managed to post a slight growth last year in spite of the back-to-back devastation caused by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

Yap projected that the agri sector growth for last year would be at the lower end of forecast range of 0.5 percent to 1.5 percent for 2009.

In 2008, the agriculture sector had posted a healthy growth of 4.68 percent growth.

For this year, Yap said any growth projection would depend on the budget for the sector and the possible effect on crops of an El Niño occurence.

There are early indications of a possible drought, with water levels in the country’s reservoirs already dipping below their normal levels this early.

Yap said the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) is not through crunching growth numbers. Growth figures for the sector are expected at the end of this month or early in February.

The DA is shifting to high gear this year the so-called FIELDS program with an allocation of P47.29, billion. FIELDS stands for Fertilizers, Irrigation, Extension services, Loans, Dryers and other postharvest facilities, and Seeds.

Under the fertilizer component, Yap said the DA is advocating balanced fertilization and will encourage farmers to practice sustainable agriculture by providing them the necessary skills and inputs to produce organic fertilizers.

As for Irrigation, Yap said 16,358 hectares of new areas would be generated this year, while 92,255 hectares would be rehabilitated, and 138,529 hectares restored.

The DA will also construct or rehabilitate 3,107 kilometers of farm-to-market roads to link production areas, fish ports and fish landings to markets, he said.

For the extension, R&D and capacity building of FIELDs, Yap said the DA would focus on reaching out to farmers in palay production areas with yields below 3.8 MT per hectare.

For the loans component, he said the government would continue to provide credit assistance at low interest rates to farmers for purchasing farm inputs and other farm machineries.

For 2010, the DA is targeting to assist 305,445 individuals and 99 groups in accessing loans, guarantee, and insurance.

To reduce losses of agricultural commodities, Yap said that 157 dryers would be constructed and distributed this year, four sites of post-harvest processing plants and trading centers would be established and 525 trading points or bagsakan centers and barangay bagsakans would be set up as part of the dryers and other post-harvest facilities component of FIELDS.

For the last component — seeds and other genetic materials — the government’s long-term policy objective is to ensure access of farmers to quality seeds.