The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Energy signed a joint memorandum circular that will operationalize the Renewable Energy Program for the Agri-Fishery Sector (REPAFS) from 2022 to 2030 with a total funding of P7.98 billion.
REPAFS will also act as the blueprint in the effective and efficient integration of RE in agriculture and fisheries sectors with six strategic directions including infrastructure and facilities support services; research and development; human resource development; standards development and enforcement; financing and credit support; as well as policy and incentives support.
According to the Philippine Energy Situationer 2018-2019, the agriculture sector accounts for 0.5 MTOE (million tons of oil equivalent) or 1.4 percent of the total final energy consumption in the country. Out of the 471.7 kTOE (thousand tons of oil equivalent), 50.9 percent comes from electricity and 48.0 percent from oil products.
BAFES said the adoption of RE technologies in agricultural activities offers promising prospects in addressing food and energy security together with the objective of environmental sustainability.
However, BAFES noted despite the potentials offered by RE, the rate of adoption is relatively slow due to many challenges including the high cost of investment, limited support to RE technologies, lack of market-driven activities to showcase latest technologies, lack of skilled and competent technical experts, low number of existing standards for RE technologies, limited financing and credit support, and lack of incentives for RE end-users among others.
Among the major short term projects of REPAFS from 2022 to 2026 include the introduction of technology business incubators to local manufacturers of RE machinery and equipment; promotion of RE technologies for agri-fisheries production and postharvest operations; integration of design of different RE systems; incentives to participants; and special trainings.
Meanwhile, major medium-term projects from 2026 to 2030 will include provision of agricultural and fishery machinery and facilities driven by RE technologies aside from the conversion of existing and installed projects of DA to use cleaner sources; -J. Macapagal
