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