Aquino and agriculture: Meeting food security, solving poverty

MANILA, Philippines – President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is eyeing reforms in the agriculture sector to address the country’s poverty situation. A former agriculture secretary believes the job rests on his administration putting a premium on achieving adequate food security in the Philippines, while ensuring profitability to the country’s farmers.

Alyansang Bayanihan ng mga Magsasaka, Manggagawang-Bukid at Mangingisda (ABA) party-list Rep. Leonardo Montemayor, who served as agriculture secretary from February 2001 to November 30, 2002 during the Arroyo Administration, says it makes sense for the Aquino government to train its sights on stemming leaks in the agriculture sector more so given the poverty that is prevalent in the countryside.

Stem corruption in agriculture

“Seventy-five percent of poverty is found in the countryside. In this regard, I find the approach of Aquino, that we have good governance applied to agriculture, very timely,” Montemayor said on ANC’s “The Rundown” on Monday night.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of problems in the agriculture sector, issues regarding smuggling of onions, garlic, vegetables, rice and corn, and these have a dampening effect on the profitability of our farmers.  So we hope this will be given a lot of attention, including some degree of corruption within the agriculture sector.”

Montemayor says losses in drying, storage and milling account for a 15% loss in the country’s annual rice production.  He adds, cutting down the loss could reduce the Philippines dependence on exports by one-fourth.

“I think there should be greater scrutiny on how the projects of the Department of Agriculture (DA) are being implemented. Maybe we did not fully harness the various NGOs and people’s organizations in order to make sure the funds were spent as efficiently as we would’ve wanted them to be.”

Self-sufficiency in 6 years

Citing lessons from the 2008 rice crisis, Montemayor believes the Philippines should also keep pushing for 100% self-sufficiency in rice.

By making improvements in the agricultural infrastructure and introducing appropriate technologies to increase productivity, he believes the goal could be achieved within Aquino’s term.

“If we put our hearts, minds and money into the effort it should be possible to achieve the self-sufficiency in rice in the coming 6 years,” Montemayor says.  “We can use existing technology: organic agriculture, bio-fertilizers.”

He also cites savings on post-harvest losses, adding much can be done quickly even on limited funds.

“I’d like to see more processing of primary products. Instead of selling kamote powder, let’s convert our tanglad and lemon grass into essential oils. I’d also like to see more linkages with the markets, closer cooperation between producers and the agri-business sector so farmers don’t produce as a kind of gamble and they will get a good price for their product.  These are do-able and don’t need a lot of money.”

Self-sufficiency by 2016?

Speaking on the same show, former Agriculture Undersecretary Jess Paras says the Arroyo administration had hoped to achieve the goal of self-sufficiency in rice by 2011, but having been set back by natural calamities and a series of oil price hikes which affected rice production, they moved the target to 2013.

Today, Paras says, achieving the 2016 target depends on many factors, including providing farmers technology, extension work and the necessary capital.

Paras says the Arroyo administration counts the modernization of agriculture, including the provision of farm-to-market roads, construction of irrigation systems, and the provision of post-harvest facilities, as well as minimizing wastage as among its achievements in the agriculture sector.

Of the 3 million hectares of total irrigable land, Paras says, 50% are non-irrigated. Under the Arroyo administration, he says, they have rehabilitated 600,000 hectares of irrigated land, which has helped boost land production.

Aside from improvements in infrastructure, Montemayor says, he would be curious to see how various stakeholders are preparing for changes attendant to the climate change phenomenon, adding more timely and proper advisories to farmers would be helpful so they can prepare in advance.

DA secretary and Hacienda Luisita

Montemayor is being floated as a possible nominee to the Aquino Cabinet. If asked, he says he would be willing to assist the Aquino government.

“I would like Aquino to succeed, and we’re prepared to help,” he says.

As a farmers’ sector representative in Congress, Montemayor admits, he would like to see a final settlement of the Hacienda Luisita issue.

While it could’ve been better handled with the actual distribution of land to Hacienda Luisita workers, Montemayor believes, the Cojuangco family and the farmers could agree on a collective mode for owning the land.

“You need not break up hacienda operations. The ownership could be spread, but it could have a factory-type operation, even a hacienda-type operation. It could be discussed, what mode of operation would be desirable between the Cojuangcos and the farmers.”  –Caroline J. Howard, ANC