Programs set for select agriculture sub-sectors

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Several projects have been lined up to further improve the country’s fisheries, coconut and organic agriculture sectors, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the agency has called for the amendment of the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) charter to expand its function to include developing and managing marine and agro-industrial estates across the country to ensure ample food supply.

Laurel said tweaking PFDA’s functions dovetails with the Philippine Rural Development Program and the current administration’s goal of modernizing the agriculture sector.

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Laurel said he is eyeing the establishment of marine and agro-industrial estates as one-stop shops that will house ports, cold-storage facilities, silos and warehouses for basic commodities to ensure stable supply.

“I’ve seen this model successfully implemented in South Korea and Japan,” Laurel said.

The DA also acknowledged the World Bank’s suggestions on the need to improve logistics and to adopt digital transformation in agriculture.

Laurel said he will soon appoint an assistant secretary whose sole focus would be logistics to ensure public funds are well spent.

The DA also stressed the importance of organic agriculture enterprises in providing farmers with opportunities to market their products and enhance their income,.

The DA is also looking at massive coconut planting and replanting to boost production.Coconut accounts for more than a third of the country’s agricultural exports. -Jed Macapagal

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