Farmers’ lives matter

After George Floyd was killed on May 25, nationwide protests were held in the United States. Several placards proclaimed: Black Lives Matter. After my column “Farmers can’t breathe” was published on June 12, two news items came out showing that to some key government officials, “farmers’ lives don’t matter.” In a 4 a.m. meeting on April 16, 2016, the five heads of the five-coalition Agrifisheries Alliance (AFA) met with then presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte on six key agriculture recommendations. He said that, if elected, he would address the deteriorating agriculture situation.

Since then, the AFA representing farmers and fisherfolk, agri-business, science and academe, rural women and multisectors have been unsuccessful in meeting the President again.

Agriculture has further deteriorated to 0.6 percent and 0.7 percent growth in 2018 and 2019, compared to industry’s 6.7 percent and 4.9 percent. The downtrend continues, despite the efforts of Agriculture Secretary William Dar.

On June 13, a newspaper quoted Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon chair Joseph Canlas as saying that his group was seeking an investigation of the procurement of 1,811,090 bags of urea fertilizer, “which was bid out at P1,000 per bag, when prevailing retail price was only P850, translating to an overprice price of about P271.66 million. My calculation is that if the money from overprice went to more fertilizers, it would benefit 159,800 more farmers instead of just one corrupt individual.

A Department of Agriculture (DA) official responded: “Such prices are a lot cheaper compared to previous purchases of the regions ranging from P1,300 to P1,500 per 50 kilogram bag of urea fertilizer.” A flurry of angry texts came from irate people. Here are some: Rosendo So, “Secretary, mababa talaga ang retail price: P810-P870”; Alvin Verno, “Rampant corruption: P860 lang”; Bernard Alunin, “Mas mababa pa ang presyo kung bibili ng bulk”; Carlito Gante, “Overpricing—kultura yan sa iba’t ibang sangay ng gobyerno”; Jonny Diane, “Umarangkada nanaman ang corruption diyan sa DA”; Leafar Dadivitan, “Another fertilizer controversy? End of Napoles era. Mabuhay si Darna!”; and Wilson Dizon—Municipal Agriculture and Fishery Council chair, Aparri, Cagayan—“Dear secretary, please conduct a transparent investigation re: fertilizer procurement.”

Unfortunately, the farmers’ voices were effectively stifled when the DA canceled all meetings of Rice and Food Staples Committee of the legislated public-private Philippine Council of Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF).

Knowing Dar’s high integrity and his zero corruption objective, he must restore this and other abolished PCAF committees, and energize all the provincial and municipal agriculture and fishery councils. They will be his allies against those undesirable elements still at the DA who are sabotaging his work.

The June 15 news release is no less alarming for farmers’ lives. A few days prior to this, Elias Jose Inciong produced a videotape that showed a DA director asking poultry raisers to limit their production to give way to imports. Secretary Dar later said this was definitely not the DA position.

But on June 15, a newspaper report quoted another official as saying, “If we need to import pork so we can drop the price, we will do that.” There was no explanation that it is the government, not the farmers, that is the main cause of high pork prices. These prices are the result of the limited pork supply caused by the African swine fever (ASF). Had the government heeded the farmers’ plea for the last five years for the proper quarantine facilities to prevent outbreaks like ASF, hogs would be in abundant supply, and pork prices correspondingly low. But the lack of quarantine facilities is believed intentional because it makes possible abuse, corruption and smuggling to the benefit of undesirable elements still at DA.

High pork prices are temporary. They will, return to their normal price levels when the ASF problem is solved. Hopefully, the government will put up the long delayed quarantine facilities, or this will happen again and again.

Meanwhile, consumers who do not wish to purchase expensive pork can buy chicken that is now at a severe oversupply situation and selling at below break even cost. Those who do this will help both the hog and poultry farmers who are suffering tremendous losses during this crisis situation. Citizens of other countries like Japan and Korea show patriotism and support their own citizens by buying local instead of imported products. Our government appears to be doing the opposite, with some suggesting that DA should now be called the “department of imports.”

Considering these two depressing events that are insults to farmers, we now request President Duterte to directly pursue his April 16, 2016, statement of agriculture improvement. He can then demonstrate to the nation that at least to him, farmers’ lives matter. INQ

The author is Agriwatch chair, former Secretary of Presidential programs and Projects, and former Undersecretary of DA and DTI. Contact is [email protected].