DA sets food resiliency plan

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture will start implementing its food resiliency action plan to ensure the stable supply of affordable food for Metro Manila following the community quarantine amid increasing cases of the coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19.

“The plan features the weekly requirement or demand of Metro Manila for basic food commodities and where these would come from,” Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.

The weekly rice requirement of Metro Manila, with an estimated population of 13.9 million, is at 26,241 metric tons.

“We have more than enough stocks to meet this demand. In fact, we have a comfortable 35-week supply of rice  which will be further augmented by the dry season harvest starting this monthup to April,” he said.

For vegetables and root crops, Metro Manila has a total demand of 5,000 MT per week, but farmers in Northern and Central Luzon could harvest and supply up to 17,000 MT a week, which is more than enough to satisfy the demand for three weeks.

For poultry and meat products, Metro Manila consumes a total of 7,934 MT a week, while poultry and livestock raisers can supply up to 11,074 MT a week, leaving an excess of more than 3,140 MT.

For table eggs, the entire metropolis consumes 25 million pieces weekly, which is amply covered as supply amounts to 42.5 million pieces.

For fish, the estimated weekly requirement is 8,000 MT, while supply reaches up to 10,264 MT, coming from Central Luzon, Ilocos Region and Mimaropa.

“There is enough food for everyone in Metro Manila. So, there is no reason to hoard or buy more than we need,” Dar said.

Dar said that the food resiliency action plan is anchored on the DA’s mandate to ensure food security for the country, in this case Metro Manila.

“Rest assured that major food items will be made available in areas where movement is restricted. We will ensure this in close partnership with the local government units,” he said.

He said that the Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita stores would remain one of the key DA strategies to ensure that Metro Manila residents can buy affordable basic food items.

In line with the pronouncements of President Duterte, Dar clarified that the transport of basic food items — including seeds, planting materials, farm inputs and equipment, livestock and poultry supplies and biologics — will continue and will not be impeded to allow continuous supply of food into Metro Manila, and delivery of other goods outside the metropolis.