Agriculture Isn’t Just Food Production; It’s Also Rural Poverty Reduction!

In the rich province of Cebu, the northernmost town of the island Daanbantayan sticks out like a sore thumb because of its incredibly high poverty incidence of 42%.
For me, Daanbantayan’s tragic story is actually a middle finger raised at policy makers and pseudo economic experts who had ignored Agriculture calling it a “dying industry.”
Daanbantayan’s story proves that when Agriculture fails, Livelihood and Income Opportunities are adversely affected resulting in high poverty incidence.
Several years ago, things were not as bad as they are now, according to the town’s new Mayor, Gilbert Arrabis Jr.
A fishing town with vast plains planted to Sugarcane and Corn, Daanbantayan had been classified as “First Class” municipality based on its annual revenues.
Mayor Arrabis, who served for nine years as Vice Mayor, said things turned for the worse when the sugar mill company ceased operations
The closure left farmers and landowners with no other option but to go back to Corn farming.
However, with thr high cost of seeds and farm inputs and very low farm gate price, farmers later gave up.
The Dept.of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Introduced Sorghum but failed to tell farmers where to sell their harvest.
That too was abandoned resulting in worsening poverty situation.
Today, thousands of hectares of agricultural lands in Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio and Bogo City lay idle.
Cultivated and made productive, these vast lands could generate earnings amounting to billions every year.
Thousands of jobs would be created, including income opportunities in allied industries.
Yesterday, I saw glitter in the eye of Mayor Arrabis when I presented to him the 5-Year Food Security Strategy which I designed for Cebu’s new Governor Pamela Baricuatro.
It introduces an Agricultural Program with Complete Value Chain which assures farmers of a ready market with a fair price.
It will also focus on empowering local farmers by providing them with the technology needed to improve their production.
When I left the Mayor’s office yesterday, I shook hands with Mayor Arrabis and promised him that I will support his goal to reduce the poverty level in his town.
I know the solution because as Governor of North Cotabato, I designed a program which reduced rural poverty from 52% in 1998 to 29% in 2007.
The formula: Boost Agricultural Production to increase farmers income and create rural jobs which in turn will address poverty.
The program, SAAD or Special Area for Agricultural Development, was elevated to the national level when I was appointed Secretary of Agriculture.
The SAAD is now a banner programs of the DA and acknowledged as one of the most effective Poverty Alleviation Programs of government.

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
#cebufoodsecurity!