October 8, 2024

 

Philippine agriculture can realise full potential with new strategies, modern practices, says committee official

 

 

Jose Ma. "Joey" Concepcion III, lead of the Private Sector Advisory Council Jobs Committee in the Philippines, on October 3 said the country's agriculture sector could reach its full potential if it redefines strategies and adopts modern practices.

 

Concepcion said such an approach requires embracing science and innovation, implementing policy adjustments, and attracting investments from the public and private sectors.

 

"The Philippines has such an incredible stock of agricultural resources that can easily sustain industries and create jobs, yet we have only scratched the surface of its potential," he said in a statement. "We need to achieve higher agricultural productivity and inclusive growth across all the stakeholders in the sector."

 

Agriculture contributed 9.1% to the Philippines' gross domestic product in 2022 and employs more than 10 million Filipinos.

 

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority indicates that agriculture posted negative growth in the second quarter of 2024.

 

Concepcion said the urgency of boosting the country's agriculture and achieving food security has only increased following recent supply chain disruptions and the increasing consequences of the climate crisis.

 

In a speech before the representatives from the Philippine and European governments at the recent 2024 Agri Sustainable Forum organised by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Go Negosyo senior adviser and former Agriculture Secretary William Dar pointed out numerous factors that have impeded the growth of the sector. These include the prevalence of small farm holdings, protectionist trade policies, limited climate resiliency implementation, limited access to financial resources, and the lack of post-harvest and other infrastructure facilities.

 

Go Negosyo has advocated for increased agricultural productivity and entrepreneurship through its Kapatid Angat Lahat sa Agri Program (Kalap). This year, it expanded the advocacy to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region through the Asean Food Security Alliance (AFSA), which is implemented through the Asean Business Advisory Council.

 

"We have initiated steps to scale up agriculture through 'big-brother' investments," Concepcion said, referring to the more than 50 large agriculture companies that have signed up to make smallholder farmers part of their value chain, particularly in commodity crops.

 

Kalap has gotten the support of 18 government partners and 24 commodity industries.

 

AFSA, meanwhile, comprises leading Philippine corporations in agriculture and their ASEAN counterparts. The alliance was formed to develop cooperative relationships within the public and privateectors to ensure food security for the entire region.

 

- The Manila Times