‘Team Agriculture’. Major players in the country's agriculture and fishery sectors show their commitment and dedication in uplifting the lives of the backbone of the country as they come together in their unprecedented and biggest gathering, the Agriculture and Fisheries 2025 (AF2025). In the photo from left to right are Mr. Roberto Amores, Chairperson of TF on Fruits and Vegetables; Dr. Rolando Dy, Chairperson of TF on Commercial Crops; Dr. Ernesto Odoñez, Private Sector Over-all Representative; Dr. Cielito Habito, Convenor; Senator Francis Pangilinan, Chairperson of the Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM); Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala; Congressman Mark Mendoza, Co-chairperson of the COCAFM; Mr. Romeo Royandoyan, Chaiperson of TF on Rice and Other Staples; Mr. Arsenio Tanchuling, Chairperson of TF on Fisheries and Aquaculture; and Atty. Elias Jose Inciong, Chairperson of TF on Poultry, Livestock and Corn.
Major players in the agriculture and fishery sectors addressed issues on agriculture, food security and competitiveness of the agri-fisheries sector when they convened for Agriculture and Fisheries 2025 (AF2025) Mid-Year Conference: Assessment and Ways Forward last October 7 at Philippine Social Science Council (PSSC) Auditorium, Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.
Led by the Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso Alcala, Congressional Oversight Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization (COCAFM) Chairperson Senator Francis Pangilinan and COCAFM Co-chairperson Congressman Mark Mendoza, together with private sector overall representative Ernesto Ordoñez, and champions from the agriculture, fisheries and agribusiness sectors met to follow up the progress of agencies and subsectors since their initial gathering last February.
During the mid-year conference, updates from each subsector were presented. Roadmaps were also fleshed out in an assessment workshop with AF2025 principals Secretary Alcala, Senator Pangilinan and Congressman Mendoza.
Secretary Alcala stated that the target year for achieving rice self sufficiency is 2013, and the department extensively promotes other staples such as cassava, white corn, sweet potato and adlay to achieve this.
The agriculture secretary also said that to increase the income of farmers, DA interventions like irrigation, training for farmers, improvement of seed varieties and provision of farm machineries are being implemented.
“The P150M budget for Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation can accommodate 150T farmer beneficiaries. This can increase to 300T if the LGU can provide equity,” he added addressing farmers’ access to affordable credit and insurance.
He furthered that there are on-going assessment studies being conducted on the establishment of municipal fish ports with post harvest facilities, and the approval of the project proposal on upgrading and rehabilitation of the Navotas Fishing Port Complex shall be followed up with the National Economic Development Authority.
“The rehabilitation and upgrading of the Navotas Fishing Port Complex is already included in the 2012 DA budget under the foreign-assisted projects,” Senator Pangilinan added.
“The rehabilitation and upgrading of the Navotas Fishing Port Complex is already included in the 2012 DA budget under the foreign-assisted projects,” Senator Pangilinan added.
Meanwhile, to address export potentials of the poultry and livestock sector, the department will pursue the establishment of Triple A slaughterhouses.
Congressman Mendoza also confirmed that the Genetic Bill has been approved by the House Committee on Agriculture and will be followed up by his office.
The AF2025 was able to determine strategies and priority activities and form task forces to address the needs of the five agriculture subsectors of rice, poultry, livestock and yellow corn, fisheries, fruits and vegetables, and commercial crops.
0 comments:
Post a Comment