“Agriculture is not farming, it is feeding” – Reday Sol
The national leadership, with other major concerns, must make agriculture an equally urgent one. The “growth and development” the country is experiencing must be directly proportional to the agriculture modernization towards its productivity. One cannot be left behind, if we are to talk of economic recovery where agricultural remains a major driver.
SPARKLING 2023 ECONOMIC SCENARIO
According to the government there is a “continued rapid GDP growth of around 5.8 percent that is expected in 2023”. This shall be propelled by sustained strong private consumption spending and an increase in government infrastructure spending and improving remittance inflows. Also, the Trading Economics Global projects a GDP of 414.19 USD billion by the end of the year.
For the first quarter of 2023 there is an increase of 3 percent of the OFW remittances or $2.97B compared to $2.89 for the same period last year. The IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP), the industry could generate $35.9 billion in revenues and have total full-time workers of 1.7 million in 2023.
For agriculture, it constantly contributes no less than 20 percent to the country’s GDP and 24 percent in employment. The Philippine Statistics Authority has recorded an employment rate of 95 percent in March.
BUT… BLUR AGRICULTURE?
The 2023, the agriculture national budget is P142B. Despite a notably low amount, yet there is an increase of 39.2 percent compared to last year. The government has also allocated 80 billion for the National High-Value Crops Development Program to help promote the production, processing, marketing, and distribution of high-value crops. This is quite interesting to know how much has gone to Negros Occidental being recognized as the Organic Capital of the country.
The budget is intended for the strengthening of the banner food programs and irrigation services to ensure food security and agricultural productivity.
In Negros Occidental, local law-makers approved a P5.1B budget for this year. Of the approved budget, P4,952,981,428.00 will be for the General Fund. The remaining amount of P190,379,525.15 will be for the province’s economic enterprise.
With the lack of specific data, it is unclear where the specific allocations of the general fund should go and, to date, how much has gone to agriculture. By estimate, the general fund is about 96 percent while the economic enterprise budget is a measly 4 percent. In the same breath, specific allocations for the latter should be known where priority allocations should go. Of course, large part of the provincial government’s budget comes from the national government’s national tax allocation (NTA) which has reduced by 14 percent.
Consistently, we assert that agricultural productivity must be pursued where the major stakeholders and players – the farmers and the small agrarian reform beneficiaries must at the center of the equation. And, efforts undertaken in this regard need scaling up on a timely and appropriate manner with requirements simplified and hastened. Agricultural productivity needs development simultaneous with other major programs the government undertakes, if not ahead.
WHAT NOW, NEGROS?
No less than the provincial government declares that, “Agriculture has been the lifeblood of the economy of Negros Occidental which is still mainly an agricultural province, comprised of 540,386 hectares of agricultural land area. Hence, one it is one of the investment priority areas, to ensure food security and agricultural productivity.” And, the annual revenue of the province is revenue of the province is P3B which is comprised of annual regular income and the internal revenue allotment.
Negros agriculture, to emphasize also includes its coastlines and marine life. Our province has a coastline almost 500 kilometers across 180 barangays in 25 municipalities with more than half a million inhabitants of 604,533 people across 181 coastal barangays. We have a few thousand fish farmers and commercial fishers with our aquaculture largely composed tilapia, milk fish and shrimp.
It is worth mentioning that the provincial government has set aside P15M in anticipation for El Nino in order to assist farmers on the impact and damage of the forecasted drought later this year.
To emphasize, considerable amount must be invested in irrigation with appropriate technology that while focused on major crops, must also consider other economic potential valued crops should they be necessary. Ram pump technology for example, must be multiplied and supported. We need to re-iterate that livestock support should be doubled in the light of the swine and hog health present concerns.
But more than, this the potential of livestock is starting to unfold.*
