10 July 2021

PH Agriculture – Change Is Coming! But We Must All Be Heroes!

Vision: “Science with a village face.”

That is based on the above Facebook sharing of Secretary of Agriculture William Dar titled The 'OneDA' Reform Agenda: Key Strategies to Transforming Philippine Agriculture” I see we all have to contribute to. When Mr Dar was Director General of ICRISAT, 2000-2014, the ICRISAT Vision was “Science with a human face.”

Now, anyone connected with the Department of Agriculture (DA) – and any critic of the ways things are not/going and not/moving – should always go back to the DA key strategies listed above.

Don’t ever think Mr Dar is leading the DA off-the cuff! And do appreciate much-desired change(s) cannot be achieved overnight.

As shared above, the DA has 4 major goals targeted via 17 key strategies (with my thoughts):

Consolidation:

(1)     Bayanihan Agri Clusters – Clustering is for efficient operations, for both farmers and DA bureaus and attached agencies serving them.

(2)     Province-led Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Systems  This is the “new normal” – the provinces leading extension activities.

(3)     Collective Action/Cooperative Development  Cooperatives are a must to help achieve sustainability in terms of economic viability, technical feasibility, environmental soundness, and social acceptability.

(4)     Mobilization and Empowerment of Partners  The private and business sectors are necessary partners for development.

(5)     Diversification  Multiple cropping is economically and environmentally better. Crop & livestock have their places.

(6)     Credit Support  – This will stop the Five-Six System that is borrower-friendly but keeps farmers poor.

Modernization

(7)     Technology and Innovation including Digital Agriculture  Knowledge can help the farmer anytime and anywhere once it becomes digitally available.

(8)     Farm Mechanization and Infrastructure Investments  Farmers must mechanize; government must invest in irrigation and such.

(9)     Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Measures  Everyone must adapt to climate change; we must help the farmers mitigate climate-related damages.

(10)  Food Safety and Regulations  DA’s coordinated actions on the Asian swine flu incident show what Mr Dar’s Servant Leadership can accomplish.

Industrialization

(11)  Agri Industrial Business Corridors  These are necessary for business, especially for exports.

(12)  Global Trade, Export Development and Promotion  We must consider other countries even as we consider local production of crops & livestock.

(13)  Postharvest, Processing, Logistics and Marketing Support  These have always been little emphasized by farmers – and by government!

Professionalization

(14)  Agriculture Career System  We must strengthen the current educational system for agriculturists.

(15)  Education and Training: Agribusiness Management  Emphasis must be made on entrepreneurship.

(16)  Youth and Women Engagement  We must now empower the youth outside the traditional educational system, and the women.

(17)  Ease of Doing Business and Transparent Procurement  No corruption in government, please!

The strategies will guide the DA in pursuing major programs and activities for the current year and pave the way to attain a modest agriculture sector growth of 2.5 percent.

(Cutting) across all these strategies is Strategic Communications leading to a consolidated, modernized, industrialized, and professionalized agri-fishery sector.

Note: The list is not by priority; they are all priorities, depending on the current givens. We must all be heroes for our country – today!@517

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