By Manny Piñol
Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries hobbled with a mere 1% growth in 2018 as a Super Typhoon and 12 more tropical storms battered the country almost every month of the year destroying 1.8-million metric tons of crops with an estimated value of P36-B.
A review of the performance of the sector during the Management Council (MANCOM) meeting yesterday in Tanza, Cavite showed that the Department of Agriculture (DA) missed most of its target production level for the year, except for poultry which exceeded growth projections.
The 2018 Agri-Fisheries Performance paled in comparison to the vigorous 3.9% growth posted by the sector achieved by the Duterte Administration in 2017, a year with fairly good climate and less typhoons.
In contrast, 2018 opened with Tropical Storm Agaton in January, Tropical Depression Basyang in February, Domeng in June, Henry, Inday and Josie in July, Karding in August, Super Typhoon Ompong in September, Rosita in October, Samuel in November and the year-ender TD Usman towards the end of December.
Rice production during the year which was projected to reach 19.4-million metric tons only posted 19.1-million metric tons as the Rice Sector lost over 900,000-metric tons in production valued at P20.7-B.
While the 2018 rice production was higher by 1.5-million metric tons than the 17.6-mmt production of the Aquino Administration in 2016, it was 170,000-metric tons lower than the 2017 production.
The corn sector lost about P10-B worth of production.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has earlier projected a growth of 3.5% for 2018 to remain consistent with the 2017 Growth of 3.9% which was a reversal of the negative 1.40% performance of Agriculture in the last year of the Aquino Administration.
The MANCOM members which included all top officials of the DA, heads of Bureaus, attached agencies including the National Food Authority and the Philippine Coconut Authority, Regional Directors and Service Directors, agreed to adopt measures to mitigate the effects of tropical disturbances and Climate Change.
Among the measures identified were the adjustment in the planting calendar, a shift in the focus on production areas called the “Southern Swing” which will identify an estimated 300,000 hectares of new agricultural areas in regions least affected by typhoons.
The MANCOM also endorsed the five key areas of focus for agricultural funding which include:
1. Completion of the 13,000-kilometer Farm to Market Road network;
2. Intensification of the Solar-Powered Irrigation Project to cover 500,000 hectares over the next three years;
3. Establishment of Fisheries and Agriculture Post-Harvest facilities to enhance productivity and lessen post-harvest losses;
4. Investments in Logistics and Transport Facilities by government, especially in the movement of agricultural products from the remote regions to the urban centers;
5. Greater focus on the Easy Access Credit Program which has proven to be a booster in production and effective antidote to rural poverty.
The MANCOM identified the key focus areas for 2019 and set a growth target of between 2.5% to 3.5% for the year.
(Photos of typhoon damage to agriculture were downloaded from public websites.)
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