Corn farmers urge Noy to prioritize food production

MANILA, Philippines - Corn farmers are urging President Aquino to prioritize food production in the face of climate change and the projected global rise in the price of grains.

In a presentation at the just concluded 19th Mindanao Business Conference in Cagayan de Oro, Philippine Maize Federation (Philmaize) president Roger Navarro stressed the need for the Aquino Administration to prioritize food security in its overall policy agenda.

According to Navarro, the Philippines has been included in the Food Security Index 2010, at No. 52, as among the countries with the highest risk in terms of food security.

The effect of climate change, he added, are already being seen all over the world. Wheat crops in Baltic countries, Australia, China and India are lower than projected due to a severe drought. On the other side of the world, Pakistan’s wheat production has also been damaged, but this time due to massive flooding in a country that has been more used to droughts.

In the Philippines, rice and corn crops, Navarro cited, have also been affected by a drought in the first half of the year.

“Other countries have to eat, have their own need of food, their population is also growing year after year. So, naturally they will secure first their own food,” he warned.

As such, Navarro said, “their natural reaction would be to tighten their belts as to stocking food supply, and (will) think twice as whether to exportand/or share their food produce to other countries.”

In Mindanao, Navarro noted, the focus has on planting bananas and pineapples for exports which generate dollars.

While earning dollars is good, Navarro acknowledged, he also argued that “we do not eat banana and pineapple for breakfast, lunch and dinner.”

As such, Navarro stressed the need for planting and growing “our own food in the country.”

He urged the Aquino Administration to insist and seek more funding from international funding agencies such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for food production programs rather than following what the WB and ADB propose should be funded.