“At the very heart of agriculture is the drive to feed the world.” – Ben Potter
It is hoped we can glean upon what holds for Negros agriculture in the years to come. While it is more than an imperative to undertake bold and swift measures to ensure food security it is also a larger than life social responsibility to preserve, protect and rehabilitate the present state of its environment – or, its ecosystem.
TYPHOON PRONE PROVINCE
We have our own share of natural calamities resulting to casualties and displaced communities, damages to livelihood including agriculture. Local economy has been adversely affected and suffers from slow progress towards recovery.
In 2013, super typhoon Yolanda devastated the Philippines – one of the worst hit countries. It was one of the most powerful tropical cyclones ever recorded that had the highest recorded wind speed of 315 km/hour that vanished 6,352 lives and cost the country Php180B – costliest ever in Philippine history.
Fat forward, in 2021, typhoon Odette hit the province considered one of the worst storms after Yolanda. It affected 288,732 Filipino families in 408 barangays that took temporary shelter in 586 evacuation centers. It took 49 Negrense lives, injured 208 and 8 are still missing. Twenty-two (22) local governments were cut off with power from one to three weeks. It damaged 270,577 houses and an estimated damage cost of ₱230 million. To highlight, a total of eye-popping P2.3B worth was inflicted to infrastructure. In October last year “severe tropical storm” Paeng had an onslaught that hit and damaged 13 cities and municipalities in the province.
Worse, Negros Occidental has less presence of humanitarian agencies with less immediate capacities or resources to respond. In the same way, coastal towns are not only vulnerable due to climate change-related impacts but are also considered geographically isolated and depressed areas (GIDAs).
Super typhoon Odette caused a total of almost Php6B billion worth of damage to agriculture in the province. A report from agriculture department Region 6 showed that the affected crops include rice, corn, and other high value-crops with a total volume of 14,002 metric tons (MT), of which more than 10,000 MT is for rice alone. Typhoon Paeng on the other hand left an estimated damage of PHP362.934 million to crops in the region.
QUICK GLANCE AT AGRICULTURE
The province has 792,607 hectares with 540,386 hectares of agricultural land area with sugarcane occupying 54% of the total area. Predominantly, Negros Occidental is still considered an agricultural province and tagged the sugar bowl of the Philippines with 51% of the total sugar production coming from the province. Others assert that Negros Occidental remains a mono-crop economy while others argue that it has come a long way in agricultural diversification or agro-tourism.
While efforts are underway for the recovery of the province it is to be underscored that agriculture must take the top spot in recovery plan in whatever forms and shapes they may take. For sugarcane alone, there are more or less 300,000 sugar workers directly and indirectly dependent to the industry. Next to sugarcane, is rice with about 125,000 hectares of rice land followed by corn and coconut.
A DAUNTING CHALLENGE
Looking at the state of agriculture and the havoc climate change has wrought in the province, the future of agriculture looks bleak in the years to come. However, addressing hunger and poverty by ensuring food security in this regard comes as a motivation among advocates and stake holders. For the government it is a major challenge where its political will must clearly manifest being constantly shrouded with doubts.
Clear policies and systems must be in order especially in the implementation of agrarian reform. Food security is directly connected to access to land and access to land is a question of ownership of land and its productivity. The agrarian reforms as social justice has not gained significant impact close to a century after it was implemented.
Many, if not, most marginal farmers and small agrarian reform beneficiaries suffer from less productivity and succumb to “leasebacks” for lack of technology, capitalization and access to production inputs. This, notwithstanding of inexperience and the lack of knowledge on how to cope up with increasing and worsening impacts of climate change – resiliency, mitigation and adaptation are more prominent in walls, tarps and vehicles rather than in their own local communities.*
