October 17, 2023

     

Philippines president highlights agricultural industralisation key to country's food security

 

Philippines President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. emphasised on October 12 the importance of industrialising the country's agriculture sector to realise his administration's goal of attaining food sufficiency and security.

 

Marcos made the assertion during the inauguration of the controlled-climate Magnolia Poultry Farm in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, which he hailed as the "way of the future."

 

"For the national government, it is important because this is the way forward, this is what we will have to do, to industrialise our agricultural sector so that we are able to provide sufficient food for our people at the price that they can afford," he said during the launch of the state-of-the art poultry farm.

 

"We put a high premium on investments in agriculture. And this is the key to combating hunger and poverty and achieving our goal of food sufficiency and security across the country."

 

Marcos said the agriculture sector must be industrialised, considering the population density and the current geopolitical situation.

 

He said the Magnolia Poultry Farm, a project by San Miguel Foods Inc. (SMFI), shows to local and foreign investors that the Philippines is ready for any initiatives that "are advantageous to the food supply."

 

"We can adapt here and adjust it to the Philippine conditions," Marcos said. "The most important part is that people realise that this is the way forward. We can no longer depend on the informal production of food in the way that we have depended on for a very, very long time."

 

Referring to SMFI's poultry farm, Marcos said the facility is expected to provide jobs to over 1,000 Filipinos, as well as open multiple opportunities for local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), farmers and other sectors in Hagonoy town and nearby areas.

 

"Once realised, this will ensure a more stable, sufficient and cost competitive supply of chicken, as well as bolster the food and nutritional needs of our people," he said. "This kind of facility goes a long way in achieving that. So I thank, of course, the San Miguel Foods led by Mr. Ramon Ang, for continuing to expand its operations in the country, for answering the call for investments in our agricultural sector. You have become a reliable partner of the government through your investments in food and beverages, infrastructure and other sectors which align perfectly with this administration's social economic agenda."

 

Marcos also thanked SMFI for investing in Mindanao and hoped that it would also consider expanding its operations in the region, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

 

He made the call as he vowed to transform Mindanao as "bastion not only of peace and security, but also of progress and food sufficiency in the years ahead."

 

Marcos also vowed to address the agricultural issues in the region, including the incidents of avian influenza and Panama disease.

 

"Rest assured that this government will continue to mitigate the adverse effects of diseases in your sector," he said. "We will help mitigate the problems of disease through appropriate and timely interventions. I assure once again the private sector and our people in Hagonoy and the rest of Mindanao, that we still have many initiatives including big ticket projects in store for the island."

 

- PNA