Last year, I repaired my old farm house built in 1994 by replacing the walls and the balusters in the veranda using lumber from the Mahogany trees which I and my cousin, Neri, planted in the periphery of the farm 27 years ago.
This season, I am enjoying the sweet fruits of my Longkong Lanzones which I planted 26 years ago.
Yesterday, I was overjoyed to see the first flowers of Aromatic Coconut variety which I planted three years ago.
The lesson here is very simple: You don’t grow things overnight and the reforms we need to attain sustainable agriculture takes years to bear fruit.
In one Cabinet meeting when I was Agriculture Secretary, I presented the many reforms which were being introduced in agriculture and fisheries.
Among the core reforms presented were:
1. For Fisheries, the institutionalization of the Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan (MMK) program which selected and awarded coastal towns with the cleanest waters, a marine sanctuary and a 3-month closed fishing season;
2. For Agriculture, a National Water Conservation Program which would involve the reforestation of denuded mountains, the protection of the watershed areas and a Water Catchment Program to assure farmers of a steady water supply.
I remember addressing the Cabinet and emphasizing that “the things we do and the reforms we are implementing in Philippine Agriculture today, may not provide immediate positive numbers. The reforms may not even yield fruits during our lifetime but we have to do these today because if we don’t start doing these, nobody may ever will.”
Unfortunately, economic policies are often crafted by people whose feet have not been muddied and whose hands never touched the scales of a fish.
These are the people who are so obsessed with abstract inflation numbers and who come up with quick fixes whenever the quarterly inflation numbers tick up a bit.
This was what gave way to the rice import liberalization which is now causing hardship and suffering to the Filipino rice farmers and which may in the end destroy a P600-B economic activity called the Rice Industry.
The shortsightedness and bias against Agriculture are expected to cause long-term problems on our national food security.
Agriculture may be a long-term investment but it is our ticket to inclusive national growth and an assurance of sufficient food supply for the next generation.
To those who say that we should just rely on the Global Food Supply Chain and slowly abandon Agriculture because it is not profitable, the Food and Agriculture Organization has an answer for you.
“Economic growth originating in Agriculture can have a particularly strong impact in reducing poverty and hunger.” – FAO 2003.
The Philippines cannot be an airplane manufacturing or car-making country, what with the absence of a viable steel industry.
Our country, especially Mindanao, however, could be a major powerhouse in food production in the region given the fertile soil, abundant water and ideal climate that we are blessed with.
Let’s stop comparing ourselves with Israel, Vietnam or Thailand because we could be a lot better.
We just have to know our strengths and learn to be patient.
#FarmingIsCommonSense!
#PatienceIsAFarmersStrength!
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