MANILA, Philippines -The Department of Agriculture is updating its development framework for 2023 to 2025 as part of plans to attain rice self-sufficiency and raise output to make basic commodities more accessible and affordable to Filipinos.
How it intends to accomplish these will be contained in its Agriculture Development Program, medium-term blueprint for the agriculture sector that it is currently updating.
The DA said in a statement that the program would “promote agricultural productivity in the Philippines, with emphasis on rice, corn, high-value crops, livestock, poultry, and fisheries as priority commodities under the current administration.”
The plan also includes postharvest and processing, logistics improvement, market linkages and arrangements and research and development.
The development program will identify specific areas for inbred and hybrid rice production and come up with strategies to develop newly irrigated areas to attain rice self-sufficiency by 2025.
President Marcos announced on Feb. 15 that he had discussed with local agriculture firm, SL Agritech Corp., proposals to raise rice output using hybrid rice and best practices in Central Luzon.
The country’s palay (unhusked rice) production stood at 19.76 million metric tons last year, falling short of the 2021 record high of 19.96 million metric tons (MT), based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Production areas for genetically modified and open-pollinated rice varieties will be delineated to increase local output by 1.5 million metric tons. About 700,000 hectares of land will also be developed for double cropping of the country’s staple.
More goals
The program also seeks to jack up local fisheries production by looking for more areas suitable for aquaculture and capture fisheries. Fisheries production last year inched up by 2.2 percent to 4.3 million MT from 4.25 million MT the previous year.
Further, the agency aims to bolster yield and exports of Philippine okra, shallots, bananas, mangoes, pineapples, durian, calamansi, jackfruits, documents, as well as conduct consultations with stakeholders, organize capacity-building activities for identified farmers’ cooperatives and associations, promote clustering and consolidation among farmers and fisherfolk for better access to government interventions and synergize with other concerned DA units.
It will coordinate with the Agricultural Credit Policy Council to come up with credit assistance and credit development programs for farmers and fishers, and with the Bureau of Animal Industry to find out the needs and requirements of the animal feeds industry.avocados, dragonfruit, coffee, cacao, ube, pili nuts, cashew, bamboo and ornamentals.
The DA has also committed to continue implementing repopulation and biosecurity initiatives to keep transboundary animal pests and diseases such as the African Swine Fever and Avian Influenza at bay. The Philippines is yet to regain its bird flu-free status although five provinces no longer have cases of avian influenza: Camarines Sur, Davao del Sur, Bataan, Rizal and Quezon.
The DA will also review its banner programs, particularly existing roadmaps and other related