|
Working double time
IN connection with the April 29 column of Mr.
Alito Malinao, allow us to point out that the Department of
Agriculture (DA) is working double time to raise our rice
self-sufficiency level from the projected 92.38 percent of the
national requirement this year to 98 percent by 2010.
As a result of higher agricultural spending by
President Arroyo, palay production peaked at a record 16.24 million
metric tons in 2007 despite the dry spell and is projected to reach
an even higher 17.32 million MT this year.
Thanks in part to the intervention programs of
the DA under its Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) Rice Program, palay
production has grown by an annual average of 4.07 percent since this
project was started in 2001. Palay production, which grew only 0.73
percent in 2005, rose dramatically to 4.96 percent in 2006, 5.96
percent in 2007 and at an estimated 6.67 percent this year. Before
President Arroyo took over seven years ago, the average growth for
palay production was only 2.86 percent over 1990 to 1999 period.
Our Department, under Secretary Arthur Yap, is
finalizing a medium-term rice self-sufficiency plan in close
cooperation with former agriculture secretaries and other grains and
farm production experts. This plan, which will help Filipinos ride
out the global food crisis, will soon be submitted to Malacañang
for the President’s approval.
The architects of this master plan include
members of the Eminent Person’s Group, an advisory panel Secretary
Yap formed in early April to help oversee the implementation of
President Arroyo’s 43.7-billion package of intervention programs
for Philippine agriculture and fisheries dubbed FIELDS.
FIELDS stands for Fertilizers, Irrigation and
other rural infrastructure, Education and training for farmers,
Loans Dryers and other post-harvest facilities and Seeds of the
high-yielding varieties. These six areas of support are where Malacañang
will infuse its 43.7 billion funding assistance for agriculture.
The Eminent Persons Group includes, among
others, former DA secretaries Salvador Escudero 3rd (now a
congressman), Domingo Panganiban (now the lead convenor of the
National Anti-Poverty Commission) Carlos Dominguez, Senen Bacani,
William Dar, Leonardo Montemayor and Roberto Sebastian; and ex-NFA
administrators Jesus Tanchanco and Gregorio Tan.
Bernie Fondevilla
Undersecretary
Chief of Staff
|
