Improved agriculture crucial for post-pandemic recovery – Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines cannot recover from the impact of the COVID pandemic if its farming sector does not improve, President Marcos said yesterday.

In a speech during the 125th anniversary celebration of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Quezon City, Marcos said the problems that the administration is facing go beyond providing sufficient food that people can afford.

“One of the great priorities of this administration is to pull out of the pandemic economy. And every analysis, even it is not conducted by farmers, even if it is done by banks, by the World Bank, by the ADB, they always say that ‘your economy won’t recover if your agriculture does not improve’ because everything that we do in the economy is anchored on a resilient and robust agriculture sector,” Marcos, who is also the agriculture secretary, said, referring to the Asian Development Bank.

“That is how important your work is. It is not just about feeding people but the recovery of the Philippines after the pandemic. Let us always keep that in the back of our mind so we will always remember that this work is not just something that you do because you cannot find another job, you cannot find another work,” he added.

Marcos said agriculture is and “will always be an important contributor” to the economy.

He said that in the first quarter of the year, the sector grew by 2.2 percent while contributing 9.1 percent to the country’s total gross domestic product.

“Let us always bear in mind that the agriculture sector plays a major and significant role. Enhancing the agriculture sector is tantamount to improving the Philippines,” Marcos said in Filipino.

He expressed optimism that the targets set by the DA would be achieved.

“There are a lot of good people in the Department of Agriculture... They did not think of anything but find ways to improve the lives of our farmers, to strengthen our food supply. And that is why I am sure that...the goals that we have set for ourselves in the next few years...are goals that we can achieve because we have all the different elements that are required,” he said. “We have the expertise. We have the experience. We have the knowledge. We have the motivation to make things work. And so that is why – that is what we are trying to do to put all your efforts into a single plan that everyone can follow.”

Marcos did not provide specifics on the targets that he said were attainable.

He also did not mention anything about his promise to lower the price of rice to P20 per kilo.

‘Work together’

The President said the goals of the agency would be achieved if there is coordination among its personnel.

He cited the need to study forces that could affect the performance of the farm sector such as climate change, decreasing productivity, diminishing natural resources and changes in the market.

“But I cannot say that we can do it without any of you. We have to be together. We have to work together. I know that it is something that all of you want... Because with your help, we have harnessed the transformative potential of the agricultural sector in ensuring food sustainability, generating employment opportunities (and) mitigating poverty,” Marcos said.

He said the DA would continue to devise interventions to advance agri-fishery practices, improve the competitiveness of agri-fishery products and boost the income of our farmers and fisherfolk.

He urged the DA to continue the dialogues with experts, researchers and rural workers in order to solve the roots of lingering problems and adopt climate resilient and cutting-edge agricultural technologies.

“There is still a great deal of work to do. But it is on this note that I enjoin each of you to continue to exert all efforts to address the concerns of our sector, so we can achieve the goals we have set for ourselves, our sector and for our country,” Marcos said.

“As one department, let us continue to champion the well-being of our farmers, fisherfolk and rural communities. Let us promote agricultural productivity and resilience while also maintaining environmental stability, and let us nurture inclusivity and pride in the noble work of feeding our people.”

Smuggling

In an interview with journalists, Marcos said the agriculture sector’s value chain would be strengthened if smuggling and hoarding are addressed.

“We are making sure that the simple problems we are facing – rice smuggling, sugar smuggling, onion smuggling – will be stopped. We will do everything to stop them,” Marcos said.

He said the DA must also find ways to boost productivity to ensure that agricultural crops and livestock are affordable.

“Those two go hand-in-hand. The best way to improve, first of all, availability and to keep the prices down, is to have a good level of production so we won’t be a victim of imported inflation, which is  happening now… we are forced to import,” he said.

“We are doing everything that we can to increase production in all aspects. I’m not talking only about rice and corn but also livestock and fisheries,” he added.

Marcos ended his speech by announcing that DA employees would receive a bonus.

“We have to meet. I have to see first how much our savings is but you will have a bonus,” he said.

Also present during DA’s anniversary were Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban, Sen. Cynthia Villar, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos and Lionel Dabbadie, country representative of the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization