Food Summits May
Hold
Answers to Low Farm
Productivity
In a press conference at Café Latte, Andagao, Kalibo on July 17, 2015
Cong. Ted Haresco Jr. wass overwhelmed by runaway success of the just concluded
First Aklan Investment Forum. The total commitment and pledges from private and
foreign investors stands at P20 billion. NEDA has documented the proceedings of
the whole day session that dealt on power, commerce and industry, banking and
finance, infra, agriculture and tourism.
Gov. Joeben T. Miraflores said that investment climate in Aklan is
conducive due to excellent peace and order, stability both in politics and
governance and tourism infra. During the 1980’s we started with construction of
Jetty Ports in Caticlan and Cagban, Malay; expansions and modernizations of
Kalibo International Airport and Caticlan International Airport (under PPP);
Kalibo circumferential road and 4 lane Kalibo to Caticlan Philippine Nautical
Highway. We have a number of high end hotels and resorts in Boracay and
significant tourism investment in Buruanga, mainland Malay, Nabas and Tangalan.
Actually the SP legislation on Private Public Partnership (PPP) enacted on
April 15, 2015 will usher in strong motivation to invest because of cost
sharing, credit enhancement, guarantees, subsidies and equities favorable to
would be investors.
The best is yet to come, a positive appraisal of Vice Gov. Billie
Calizo-Quimpo after hearing the report of initial pledges. This is a new dawn
for Aklan to improve its socio-economic standing and preparedness in the Asean
Integration.
However, there is a snag in the overall rosy picture. Our agri-fisheries
sector is left out in the cold. With the average GDP growth of 1.78 per cent
since 2010, two-thirds of the farming population are deeply mired in poverty.
Aklan’s share in upscale Boracay market is minimal: 7 per cent in fruits and
vegetables and 37 per cent in poultry and livestock. Aklanons have comparative
advantage to supply the demand of hotels and resorts but sadly the opportunity
has remained open.
What indeed is the root cause? Is the reason economics?, financial?,
technical?, attitudinal? or all of the above?
This can only be fully evaluated if a food summit is organized by the
Provincial Government in cooperation with non-government organizations like the
Farmers’ Cooperative, Irrigators’ Association, Fisherfolks Organization, and
ARC’s. Consultants and reactors would be representatives from LBP, DBP, OPA,
NFA, DAR, DA-ATI, BFAR, BAI and ASU.
Agriculture provides one third of the total labor force. It contributes
11 per cent to GDP. With population growth of 1.9 per cent, DA targets 4.3 to
5.3 percent per year increase. However budget for agriculture corresponds only
to 2.5 percent where the optimum recommendation of Food and Agriculture
Organization is 7 percent. This skewed allocation of public funds directly affects
30 million Philippine farmers.
Taking advantage of recurrent food deficit smugglers have a heyday.
According to UN Trade Statistics the government lost P37 billion in tariff in
2014 at the Bureau of Customs. This consists of 721, 018 MTs of sack worth
P21.6 billion, chicken-P1.9 billion, Buffalo meat-P1.05 billion, onions-P113.5
million and garlic-P3.99 billion.
Vice Governor Quimpo is aware of DA’s distribution of agricultural
machineries in Aklan such as irrigation pumps-28 units in February 2015 for
battling El Nino, hand tractors, threshers in the wake of super typhoon
Yolanda. During Gobyerno sa Barangay sorties in different towns the Office of
the Provincial Agriculturist has distributed thousands of packs of vegetable
seeds and planting materials such as mango, and jackfruit. Marine fish
sanctuaries are established and maintained by LGU’s in Buruanga, Malay, Nabas,
Ibajay, Tangalan and Batan. But we really don’t know the result of this
economic amelioration program. At any rate, we expect to have the answers
during the Food Summit straight from the horses’ mouth so to speak.
Inclusive growth must be the prime consideration for present and future
investments. This is because at the heart of success is the full development of
man himself. /MP
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