Farmlands to be zoned into 'food baskets'

The Philippine farm lands shall be zoned into "food baskets" that shall match crops and soil types for maximum productivity and viability, Agriculture Secretary Edgardo Angara said recently.

Angara said the "food basket concept" has to be the major thrust of Philippine agriculture so as to maximize the returns of private and public investments.

"Each province, each region shall plan its agricultural programs according to the production environment. The past mistake of mismatching production programs with the production environment will be done away with," he said.

Angara said the food basket concept will not stop at identifying what crops suit specific soil types and production environments. Government and private resources and capital will back up the concept.

Using Ilocos Norte as an example, Angara said that farm-to-market roads, certified seeds, demo farms and fish-culture sites are now being put up in the province through state funds to boost its agriculture productivity.

These programs shall be backed up by the distribution of tractors and the construction of post-harvest facilities.

"The Estrada administration is committed to the modernization of the fisheries and agriculture sectors through well-studied production programs and investments. Earning the maximum yield from every peso invested has been a deliberate, intense effort on the part of the Estrada government," he added.

Angara said that the food basket concept jibes with free market environment in global agriculture.

"The imperative is to be competitive and world-class. We cannot be world-class food producers unless we adopt the food basket concept," he said.

Angara added that special fishery and agricultural zones shall be established nationwide to serve as processing and export hubs for fishery and agriculture products.

"The produce from the food basket shall be processed, shipped and exported from these special zones," she said.

Angara said the commitment of the Estrada administration is to recapture the prime role of agriculture among the most productive and vibrant sectors in the national economy.