2017 AGRI GROWTH +3.97%;
19.28-MMT RICE HARVEST
By Manny Piñol
In the first full year of the administration of President Rody Duterte, the Agriculture Sector made a dramatic bounce back in 2017, posting a positive 3.97% growth from the previous year’s negative -1.1% performance.
The positive growth was achieved even after the country’s poultry industry suffered tremendous losses because of the outbreak of the first Avian Flu case in Central Luzon.
Effective disease control and quarantine measures were implemented helping the poultry industry to recover by the end of 2017.
Blessed by favorable climate, the Rice Sector achieved its highest harvest in history at 19.28-million metric tons, up from only 17.6-million metric tons harvest in 2016, the last year of the Presidency of Benigno S. Aquino III.
With the exception of fisheries which still reels from the decades of abuse of the fishing grounds due to illegal fishing and destruction of corals, all sectors in Agriculture posted positive growth.
Farmers income increased as President Duterte imposed a No-Importation during harvest season policy.
Easy Access Loaning Program was launched while farm equipment and machinery which were previously given to farmers only if they paid a counterpart of 15% of the cost, were given out for free by President Duterte.
Free Irrigation was implemented and a sustainable program to protect the fishing grounds through the Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan Program and the observance of the Closed Fishing Season in all fishing grounds of the country was implemented.
Poorest provinces were identified and given additional support through the Special Area for Agricultural Development, an anti-poverty program of the Duterte Administration.
In spite of these historic accomplishments, nobody wrote columns or articles saying that Agriculture was not dying after all and was in fact, growing.
Oh, well!
(Last part of the series will be tomorrow. Pagod na! Ikot muna ako sa farm para matingnan ang mga Manok Pinoy. Merry Christmas everyone!)
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