Let Farmers Produce! Mind-Conditioning and Prelude To Massive Agri Importation?

“He who does not look far would most likely bang his head against a wall.”

Eighteen months into one of the most difficult periods in our life as a nation, we are jolted today with another shocking information coming from our economic planners – there could be a shortage of vegetables, chicken, pork and fish.

Our planners and strategists should have seen this coming and prepared for this long before the problem reared its ugly head.

Eighteen months were a lot of lead time to establish measures to prevent the problem.

The failure to do this does not reflect well on our forward-planning abilities and disaster preparedness.

It is not too late though.

Before our economic planners again recommend the lowering of tariffs and massive importation of vegetable and fish, please allow me to share this very important information.

1. Bangus could be grown in fish cages in six months and if we are targetting 500,000 metric tons to fill up the shortage by early next year, only 12,500 Norwegian Fish Cages with an estimated harvest of 40-MT are needed to be set up in the many coves and bays of the country, especially in Mindanao.

At P1-M cost per fish cage up until harvest, only P12.5-B is needed which could be sourced through a Special Emergency Loaning Program by Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines.

What the Department of Agriculture needs to do is to task the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA) to prepare a marketing plan to efficiently purchase and distribute the fish production.

2. Broiler Chicken could be harvested in 30 days. What the DA should do is again link up the farmer-producers with the GFIs, provide incentives to growers by offering them chicks and feeds and preparing a marketing scheme which would assure a ready market at a fair price for the produce.

3. Pork shortage could be addressed using the same strategy. Now that a vaccine for ASF is already available, start a massive repopulation program followed by a nationwide vaccination campaign.

Provide hog raisers with loans, incentives and an assured market.

In less than a year, the hog raisers could start producing.

4. Lastly, My Gulay! Why import vegetables?

Pechay could be harvested in 45 days, Squash in 60 days, Tomatoes in 60 days, Cabbage in 70 days and Eggplants in 100 days.

Just tell the vegetable farmers of the Cordillera, Cebu, Bukidnon, Davao and South Cotabato what kind of Gulay is needed by the market and prepare an efficient procurement and distribution program.

Mindanao is ready to contribute.

The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) could lead this program. Just provide the funds and assure our producers of the market.

The farmers and fishermen could very well supply the shortage. So, why import?

By supporting our local producers, jobs and income opportunities are also created thus we will be able to rev up the economy and tame the Ogre that our economic planners fear the most – Inflation.

It is a simple problem to solve, that is unless those highlighting the shortage have a sinister motive in mind.

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!