Complete Value Chain! Revive NFA To Promote, Market Philippine Banana

It feels good to hear that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. talks about and understands the importance of the doctrine of Complete Value Chain to boost Agriculture and Aquaculture In the Philippines.
One of the major factors which stunted the growth of Philippine Agriculture and Fisheries is the fact that until today, farmers and fishermen had remained as primary material producers who do not have control or participation in the processing and marketing of their produce.
Ibig sabihin, hanggang ngayon ang magniniyog ay hanggang taga-sungkit ng bunga at taga-bilad ng kopra na binibili sa kanya ng mga comprador sa presyong gusto nila.
Hanggang ngayon ang magpapalay ay hanggang sa pag-ani at pagbenta lamang ng palay, ang maggugulay ay nag-aantay lamang ng buyer sa kanyang bukid at ang mangingisda ay hanggang Fish Port lamang.
From the farm gate or the fish port to the market, the goods produced pass through at least 10 dicers, middlemen and traders.
Ang resulta: mura ang bili ng produkto ng magsasaka at mangingisda samantalang mahal naman ang bentahan sa palengke.
Ang kumikita dito ay middlemen and traders and this is simply because the government had not used existing government instrumentalities or agencies to correct this marketing aberration.
This dampens the production intentions of our farmers and fishermen kasi bakit ka nga naman magpaparami ng produkto kung kaunti lang ang kinikita mo.
The best example is our Cavendish Banana Industry where, except for the established large multi-national and local banana corporations, small and independent banana growers had been at the mercy of the middlemen, mostly foreigners who control the prices.
Local banana farmers had been helpless against the depredations of heartless traders in spite of the fact that there is a government agency which could have protected them.
I am talking about the National Food Authority (NFA) which, unknown to many, is the only Philippine trading agency recognized by the World Trade Organization (WTO).
The NFA was focused mainly on rice trading and ignored all other commodities which it could have effectively promoted and marketed locally and abroad.
Sa ibang bansa, meron slang mga ahensya ng gobyerno na tumutulong sa kanilang mga magsasaka para maka-access ng market both locally and abroad.
Dito sa atin, bahala na ang magsasaka at mangingisda sa buhay nila.
Mabubuhay natin ang Banana Industry kung makikialam ang gobyerno through NFA in promoting our Cavendish and even other banana varieties abroad.
Of course, the basic foundation of the Banana Industry Development should be the creation of the Philippine Banana Development Agency which would focus on one of the biggest export commodities of the country.
Inumpisahan na ito during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte with the establishment of the Banana Industry Development Council at follow through na lang ang kailangan.
This has to be done fast because our banana farmers are suffering and we are losing our market share of Cavendish Bananas and missing opportunities on other banana varieties as well.
Revive the NFA and expand its role in Philippine economic development as the promoter and marketing agency not only of our Bananas but also other agriculture and fisheries products.
This will complete the realization of the Complete Value Chain that President Marcos often talks about in Agriculture where the agriculture and fisheries producers get the full value of their work, labor and sacrifices.
#KungGustoMaramingParaan!
#welearnfrommistakes!