THE regional integration next year offers the perfect opportunity for putting in place the programs that would lift agriculture from mediocre growth. More than the need to make the sector competitive (and prevent the embarrassing scenario of Thailand/ Vietnam dumping into our shores most of our food needs), an agricultural renaissance would be a directed, dedicated agenda against hunger and poverty. A Great Leap Forward for the rural areas, so to speak.
An energetic, forward-looking government would have put in place by now the strategic preparations – the requites - for the integration. Even if these required defying policy orthodoxy and reviving the supervised food production programs such as the Masagana 99 and the Maisan programs of the yore. So what if these programs would require the BSP to open a special rediscounting window for state-sponsored food production programs?
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