Two strategic bureaus we need in 2025

Structure must follow strategy, and there are two strategies we must implement effectively if agriculture is to have a prosperous new year. The first is the clustering and consolidation of our farmers (with an average 1.3-hectare farm size) to achieve economies of scale.

The second is the delivery of agriculture extension services to farmers and fisherfolk. They have lacked these services since they were devolved to the local government units (LGUs) because of the Local Government Code of 1991.

The two structures needed to implement these two strategies are the Bureaus of Cooperative Development and of Agriculture Extension. If these cannot be realized, the DA must at least create offices that will be adequately funded to fulfill these bureaus’ major functions.

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Last Dec. 22, these recommendations were given during the last regular meeting of the Agrifisheries Alliance (AFA) with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

AFA is composed of three coalitions for the three major agriculture sectors—farmers and fisherfolk (Alyansa Agrikultura or AA), agribusiness (Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. or PCAFI) and science and academe (Coalition of Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines or CAMP). PCAFI covers commodity issues, for which there are added monthly reports from the DA-organized 10-member commodity councils starting next month. These commodity-specific concerns are supplemented by AFA cross-cutting and policy recommendations, such as the two identified here.

Clustering and consolidation

Recognizing the value of cooperatives, Thailand changed the name of its agriculture ministry in 1972 to the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives. The addition of this emphasis resulted in impressive achievements. Last year, Thailand recorded $61.4 billion in agriculture exports, 10 times our $6.4 billion. It is double our overseas remittance of $33.5 billion, which we need to get at great cost to our family and social lives.

Last Sept. 3, Tiu Laurel created the Agriculture Cooperative Enterprise Development (Aced) Services. He stated: “By adopting modern farming technologies and enhancing food security and agricultural exports, we are taking first steps toward a more productive and sustainable sector.”

AFA leaders added that if the cooperative structure is not appropriate for a specific situation, Aced can promote other forms such as cooperatives and associations. In fact, the DA is doing this with its Farmer and Fisheries Clustering and Consolidation (F2C2) program.

The F2C2’s goal is “to achieve economies of scale and capacity building for farmers, such as business plan preparation, financial management and enterprise operation.” Though F2C2 and Aced work jointly, there is still a lack of authority and resources, resulting in limited gains. A Bureau of Cooperative Development must be established to solve this deficiency.

Agriculture extension

We now have 11.2 million agriculture extension workers. However, this statement may be deceptive. In reality, the great majority of these workers are not doing their jobs properly. When this service was devolved to the LGUs, the staff were not given the necessary guidance and technology transfer. In fact, many were unqualified and did nonagriculture work.

The Provincial Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Service (Pafes) is a program originally proposed by CAMP and approved by the DA to address this problem. Its objective is to have the focus of extension at the provincial level. This is correct, for this is where the unique needs are best known. However, the DA does not have authority over these extension workers. Aside from the DA giving more support to Pafes, AA recommended that there should be one DA extension worker for every 10 barangays to have a direct line to DA. It was stated that 10,000 out of their more than 50,000 personnel will now do this.

However, this again is not enough. A well-funded Bureau of Agriculture Extension with authority should be created to ensure DA programs are implemented properly in the barangays. To implement the two critical strategies identified here, the structures of the Bureau of Cooperative Development and Agriculture Extension should immediately be created.