Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. on Thursday sought the cooperation of all sectors in the implementation of the country’s roadmap for agriculture.
A multi-sectoral collaboration could make Philippine agriculture competitive with its foreign counterparts and ensure food security, he said.
“Basically, I need everybody’s cooperation. At of course kaunting pasensiya pa dahil iyong mga kailangang gawin ay hindi iyan overnight na kapag itinanim mo, bukas nandiyan na eh,” Laurel said during the Malacañang Insider program.
“Kagaya ng irigasyon, solar-powered irrigation it will take you six months to one year to implement, iyong mga solar-powered cold storage, ganoon din ‘di ba. Iyong real irrigation like a dam, will take you three years. Small water impounding will take you one and a half year. Iyong mga drying systems, silos na sinasabi natin, from time of bidding until completion, 12 months,” he said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will implement the roadmap over the next four years, Laurel said. He hoped Filipinos could feel the benefits of the DA’s efforts by the middle to late next year.
With the budget available for this year and 2025, the DA is focusing its spending on specific projects such as irrigation systems, farm machinery, dryers and silos, as well as rice mills, Laurel said.
“Ang isang pinakamalaking kailangan nating mag-invest is in irrigation because 1.2 million hectares of flat land is not irrigated eh. So, less than 50 percent is irrigated and to increase production, we really need more irrigation,” Laurel pointed out.
“Mayroon din tayong makinang investment sa mga driers at silos and rice mills para ma-increase iyong ating recovery na tinatawag. Sa ngayon, ang recovery natin using old systems or drying sa kalye at sa mga ibang lugar, 50 percent lang ng bigas ang nakukuha natin sa palay eh ‘no. Pero kung may mga drying systems tayo, puwedeng umakyat iyan up to 70 percent eh,” he explained.
Through these initiatives, the country could attain a 15 to 20 percent increase in its buffer stock without increasing production, he added. PND
