Trees Don’t Bear Fruits Overnight! Agricultural reforms do not happen overnight.

This was the explanation I made during one Cabinet meeting when I was Secretary of Agriculture in response to criticisms by the Economic Managers that Agriculture was not contributing to the reduction of inflation numbers.
This, in spite of the fact that the 3.9% Agriculture Growth in 2017, was the highest in decades and the country posted the highest rice production of 19.28-million metric tons.
In the presence of then President Rodrigo Duterte, I said that the fruits of the Agricultural Reforms which were being introduced may not even be reaped during his term.
But the Economic Managers were impatient, so they pushed the “unimpeded importation” policy for rice.
Today, the consumers and farmers reap the bad winds from that shortsighted and quick-fix policy.
The Philippines is now the World’s No. 1 Rice Importer while the price of rice per kilo soared to P60.
I am now out of government but I still hold on to my view that to improve and develop Philippine Agriculture there must be a sustained effort.
In my farm today, I am engaged in a difficult and lengthy process of developing new Soybeans varieties.
This may take me at least one year before I could produce enough seeds of the new varieties for large scale farming.
Yes, it is tedious but I have to do it because if I don’t do it, who else will?

#FarmingNeedsPatience!