THE coming Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration is committed to prioritizing agriculture and food security of the nation, the main reason the President-elect opted to himself lead the Department of Agriculture in the early months of his incumbency.
A President’s decision to lead certain departments of the executive branch can be explained by two things: first, that the particular sector/department is in a complete mess and needs immediate cleaning up, and second, the sector is facing extraordinary challenges ahead and should be primed fast to cope with these problems. Before Marcos Jr., President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo temporarily handled the Department of National Defense and President Joseph Estrada led the Department of Interior and Local Government for a whole year.
‘As agriculture secretary, President-elect Marcos Jr. cannot micromanage everything in the DA, and he will need competent undersecretaries and technical people…’
Marcos aired his desire to lead the DA with these words: “We’re going back to basics … and we will rebuild the value chain of agriculture. That is why I thought it is important that the President take that portfolio.”
What exactly is the value chain? And what is the term value chain if used in relation to agriculture?
The value chain describes the full range of activities that firms and workers do to bring a product from its conception to its end use and beyond. In other words, this refers to the entirety of logistical efforts and processes that a business engages in to produce a completed product.
Agricultural value chain therefore involves the whole gamut of agricultural production: matching what crops to plant with what type of soil and climate, use of fertilizers and irrigation, post-harvest facilities, warehousing, transport facilities, energy consumption, infrastructure support, financing and loans, ownership of land, marketing and distribution to consumers, pricing policy, etc.
As agriculture secretary, President-elect Marcos Jr. cannot micromanage everything in the DA, and he will need competent undersecretaries and technical people, considering that the portfolio extends to the fisheries sector too. It is a tall order, too, for a President just beginning to lead a nation rising from the COVID-19 pandemic and faced with daunting challenges of economic recovery.
It takes courage and dedication, therefore, for PBBM to take on these two jobs at this time of global economic crisis brought about by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the interest-setting policies of the US Federal Reserve Bank. Most every country is reeling under these economic challenges, and it would take a decisive leader to help us navigate this stormy part of the nation’s journey.
We can only hope that President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will measure up to the occasion.
