July 9, 2004

 

 

Philippine DA Eyes 5-8% Increase In Agriculture Output

 

The Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) is aiming for a five- to eight-percent growth rate in terms of agricultural productivity, as it intensifies modernization of the agriculture sector over the next six years.

 

Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo Jr. said they primarily intend to adopt the best systems and technologies available that would ultimately increase productivity at significant growth rates.

 

"We will benchmark with the best practices of the world and strive to be self-sufficient in rice by 2005 and in corn and other basic food commodities within the next six years," Lorenzo said in his message, delivered by National Agriculture and Fisheries Council executive director Salvador Salacup, to the 3rd Exporters' Congress here this morning.

 

Under the Macapagal-Arroyo administration, he said growth in agriculture soared to an annual average of 4.06 percent gross value added from the previous administration's mere 1.17 percent.

 

Lorenzo said that for this year, they expect to surpass the 3.77-percent growth rate posted last year through the phenomenal 8.16-percent increase during the first quarter.

 

"By promoting the use of hybrid rice, complemented by the supply chain approach and the use of right technologies and innovative means of making credit accessible to farmers, we have achieved 94-percent sufficiency levels in rice last year," he said.

 

He said that this year, the Arroyo administration hopes to achieve a 97-percent rice sufficiency level.

 

Lorenzo said the country achieved a 67-percent self-sufficiency last year in terms of producing corn for animal feeds, after posting just 60 percent three years ago.

 

But through the government's grains highway or enhanced corn productivity program, he said they are now aiming for an 80-percent self-sufficiency this year.

 

"We have attained self-sufficiency in sugar since last year and our problem now is surplus production of as much as 2.3 million metric tons this year. As demand remains static at 1.9 million metric tons, we must find a way of opening new export markets that can absorb this surplus," he said.

 

As part of the DA's strategies for the next six years, Lorenzo said they would work out to firmly link up farmers and producers to the world markets and make them competitively self-sufficient so they could eventually effectively engage in both exporting and importing agricultural products.

 

He said they should also be empowered to be efficient, globally competitive and profitable and yet able to provide enough food and address the basic needs of local consumers.

 

In Central Mindanao, he vowed to continue various agriculture-related programs and projects that would modernize the area's agriculture sector.

 

Lorenzo said they intend to complete the ongoing P1.2-billion expansion of the General Santos fish port and will push for more funds for the realization of the South Cotabato, Sarangani and General Santos area integrated development plan.

 

He said they will also continue with the foreign-assisted projects such as the Infrastructure for Rural productivity Enhancement (Infres), the European Union-funded Upland Development Programme in South Cotabato and Sarangani, and the World Bank's Mindanao Rural Development Program in Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat provinces.

 

Lorenzo added that they are also working out for the establishment of grain bulk handling facilities in the city.