|
Among the Chinese, the word for crisis is the same as opportunity. A
crisis through the eyes of an entrepreneur creates a window of
opportunity.
This is exactly how Senate President Manny
Villar sees the prevailing rice crisis with prices hitting record
highs. “The global food crisis should be looked at positively from
the perspective of those engaged in agricultural production,” he
maintains.
Villar has an entrepreneurial mind. He came from
a humble beginning in Tondo to become the third highest public
official of the land.
Villar thinks the high price of rice has been
triggered by a growing world population, increasing demand and
supply problems due to climate factors, among other reasons. But the
high rice prices are a very good incentive for Filipino rice
growers, he insists. High rice prices give farmers a comfortable
profit margin.
Accordingly, Villar sees the beginning of a
local agricultural renaissance emerging from the global food crisis.
The self-made billionaire feels strongly that
the entrepreneurial revolution he has relentlessly advocated may yet
happen in our lifetime on the crest of an agricultural renaissance.
He notes that the Philippines is an agricultural
country with hardworking farmers. In addition to UP Los Baños,
which has trained many agriculturists from Asia, particularly
Vietnam, Pakistan, Laos, Thailand, Indonesia, Nepal and South Korea,
the Philippines has two other rice research institutes—the
International Rice Research Institute and PhilRice, both renowned
internationally for developing high-yielding and weather-tolerant
varieties of rice.
In the new roadmap, he sees an agricultural
renaissance. But many things must be done. “We must take bold
steps now,” says Villar.
Rice farmers must be provided with all the
necessary support facilities and services such as accessible and
affordable agri-credit facilities. Farmers’ cooperatives should be
reinvigorated to undertake a more proactive role for their members.
They should be the primary channel for procuring production inputs
such as certified seeds, fertilizers and pesticides which may be
bought at a discount with the savings passed on to farmers.
Agricultural extension services must be
broadened so that farmers may know the latest in best farm
practices.
As a start, Villar wants to zero in on major
rice-producing areas such as Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Mindoro,
Iloilo and South Cotabato.
Make an inventory of the state of irrigation in
each of these areas, the Senate president suggests. What needs
repair must be attended to at once. Area farmers’ cooperatives
must be empowered to closely monitor and pressure any repair or
installation work, he says.
On-site assessment of post-harvest facilities
such as storage areas and dryers should lead to a more area-specific
and time-bound interventions. He says priority must be given to
having these facilities available to avoid unnecessary wastage. Less
wastage means more profit for farmers.
To reduce production costs further, Villar
thinks more attention should be given to the sustainable promotion
of the best practices of balance fertilization, integrated pest
management and precision agriculture whereby the fertilizer grade
applied is specific to the requirements of the soil.
When rice farmers begin to experience a
comfortable profit margin, not only will they have an improvement in
their disposable income. They will in the process become
entrepreneurial in their outlook because of their experience of
success, Villar figures.
biznewsasia@gmail.com
|
