The Department of Agriculture (DA) is embarking on a three-year “Para sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas” plan which will address product wastage and increase production.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., during the sectoral meeting in Malacanang, yesterday said the program entails the construction of 47 cold chain facilities until 2028 on top of the 268 completed last year.
Laurel said four chiller storages worth P1 billion will be built in either La Union or Baguio City, in Taguig City, in Sariaya in Quezon, and in Occidental Mindoro.
Post-harvest facilities, each with a capacity of 120 metric tons, are being built in Dingras in Ilocos Norte, in Concepcion in Tarlac; in Dumangas in Iloilo and in Musuan Maramag in Bukidnon, among others.
Laurel said the DA will build pallet position cold storage facilities for high-value crops and vegetables in coordination with the farmers, farmer cooperatives and local government units to help address concerns on oversupply of agricultural products especially vegetables.
The cold storage facilities are eyed for completion and operation by June next year.
P93B needed
Laurel said the government will need P93 billion in the next three years to build post-harvest facilities for rice and corn.
He said these facilities will help prevent a wastage of P10.7 billion worth of rice and corn a year. He said at least 12.7 to 15 percent of the rice produced yearly is wasted due to lack of post-harvest facilities.
Laurel said the government will also continue to try its best to reach the P20 per kilo of rice promised by Marcos during the presidential campaign.
The additional cold storage and post-harvest facilities are part of DA’s three-year plan which also included expanding agri-fishery areas for increased production, modernizing agri and fishery production systems, and infrastructure development such as building more ports and agri-industrial ports to improve the logistics system.
Laurel intends to reorganize DA to make it less regulatory but developmental in regulations and food safety.
No doleouts; fisheries code amendment
Laurel, in a press briefing meanwhile, said the DA has no budget to provide assistance to vegetable farmers including the onion growers, who have been affected by the oversupply and wastage, and pests, respectively.
He said the DA will come up with a protocol in the next two weeks but noted he does not believe in cash handouts. He said he prefers the provision of agricultural implements such as seeds and fertilizers.
Laurel said the proposed amendments to the Philippine Fisheries Code and draft Executive Order on Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones was also discussed during the sectoral meeting with the focus on the Users of Municipal Waters (Section 18).
The proposed amendment would potentially allow commercial fishing vessels to operate in municipal waters at a depth of 35 meters or more.
He said the President emphasized the importance of identifying major fishing grounds and of regularly monitoring the status of fisheries in collaboration with local governments in light of the proposed amendments to Section 18.
Rice price a concern
Laurel also assured the public supply of rice in the country is “heathy” based on the current inventories.
Laurel said supply would be augmented by upcoming rice deliveries from overseas.
He said the country had an ending rice stock of 20 million tons last year and is eyeing a similar volume this year.
Laurel said the prices of rice, however, is a bit of a concern and hard to predict especially with El Niño.
He said even rice producing countries like Thailand and Vietnam are experiencing high rice prices.
Asked about the status of the Philippines’ five-year rice agreement with Vietnam, Laurel expressed hope the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) would be signed during President Marcos’ trip to Vietnam later this month.
He said among the provisions of the proposed MOA is the guarantee from Vietnam that it would continue to supply the Philippines with rice supply even during calamity situations.
“So that is part of our food safety. So that is good for us,” he said.
