I, Farm Boy! The Other Man’s Grass Isn’t Always Greener…

Time and time again, I have heard derisive comments by some of our officials on the pitiful state of Philippine agriculture compared to our neighbors’.

“Look at Israel, they don’t have much land and water but …”

“Look at Thailand and Vietnam, their top agriculturists studied in the Philippines and now…”

Should we really envy Israel, a country with one major river, Jordan, where Jesus was baptized; with a land area of 2-million hectares; with less than a dozen rainfalls every year; and very poor quality soil?

Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Shouldn’t the Israelis envy us?

Israel’s land area is equivalent to the land area of the provinces of Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur which together have over 100 rivers, a 39,000-hectare lake, ideal climate and rich fertile soil.

Israel is an agricultural wasteland when compared to the Philippines or even just Mindanao.

The only reason why they are miles ahead of us in agriculture is because they learned to accept the realities and faced the challenges.

They worked hard to develop whatever resources they have and allocated funds to enhance agricultural advancements.

Us?

Go check how much budget is allocated for Philippine Agriculture.

For 2020, Agriculture and Fisheries received less than P80-B out of the P4.7-Trillion national budget.

Worse, our policy makers have hardly made the rounds of the countryside to really appreciate the vast potentials of our country in food production.

So, with a budget share of less than 2% and policies crafted by people who hardly know the realities on the ground, Philippine Agriculture is in dire straits.

The result?

Farmers are labeled as uncompetitive which could also be spelled as incompetent.

So, our policy makers look out our windows to the bountiful lands beyond to source our food.

If only they looked more closely at the vast undeveloped countryside, they would have realized that our grass is actually greener.

Had they done that, we would not be flooded by imported commodities which our farmers could easily produce.

Sadly, there are those among us who really believe that the grass in the other side of the fence is greener.

That is why we suffer.

#TouchGroundFeelThePulse!

https://fb.watch/aMH97M9pst/