Finding solutions, not excuses

Our government planners are so accustomed to attributing the agriculture sector’s lackluster performance to bad weather. Perhaps it is true that a series of weather disasters, aggravated by a dry spell brought about by the El Nino phenomenon last year not only interrupted the planting cycle but also destroyed standing crops. Similarly, during the typhoon season, substantial portion of rice and corn farmlands accounting for 21 percent of total agricultural production had been inundated.

As a result, the total palay harvest area contracted by 4.7 percent while yield dropped by 2.3 percent for the three quarters of 2005, bringing down the July to September crop by 7.1 percent. Corn production also dipped as farmers scrimped on production inputs such as costly fertilizers.

Coming from a high base of 5.2 percent, Department of Agriculture (DA) has revised its agriculture growth projection for 2005 at between two to 2.5 percent, which is significantly lower than what was achieved in 2004.

The lower growth expectations for the full year of 2005 is way off the four percent mark and the revised growth projection of 3.5 percent when poor weather conditions at the start of the year already indicated it would be difficult to meet targets.

Bland growth for livestock also

The hog and poultry industries also performed blandly. But this time, the blame goes to the weak economy, which reeled from higher oil prices that adversely affected consumer confidence. Thus, even with the steady prices of pork throughout the whole year, sales continued to be sluggish even during the Christmas season.

With inflation chipping at the value of their hard-earned peso, consumers – especially those in the lower-income bracket – were buying only a part of their usual consumption. The poultry sector similarly experienced the constraints of weakened consumer demand, but was aggravated by the bird flu scare.

Another factor singled out for the dreary performance of the agriculture sector is the change in leadership at the DA that took place in mid-year. This disrupted the implementation of programs although the new Agriculture Secretary Domingo F. Panganiban, being an old hand in the agriculture bureaucracy, helped ease the transition problems.

More than the weather or the economy

It’s a good thing also that Sec. Panganiban does not accept hook, line and sinker such reasons as bad weather and an uninspiring economy to explain for last year’s pathetic agriculture performance. Rightly, the answer lies not just in reacting to disasters – or even local demand – but in anticipating these problems and putting in place measures to mitigate their potentially debilitating impact.

With regards the farming sector, for example, government support has always been lacking, and even more so frustrating with budget priorities and policies largely skewed in favor of the other sectors such as industrial and manufacturing concerns and defense.

For the second straight year, the DA is living on a re-enacted budget of P11 billion. Compare that with the estimated yearly rice importations of P28 billion and you have a picture of what is wrong with the agriculture sector. Considering that agriculture makes up a fifth of the country’s gross domestic output, the resources committed by our government is just pathetic.

If we really want our farmers‚ and fishermen’s productivity to increase dramatically, our government must put its money where its mouth is. Instead of prioritizing the non-productive budgets, such as for defense (or for intelligence and wiretapping?) for example, it should pump-prime the countryside where the population that can contribute to the economy’s real growth reside.

Release timing is critical

Faced with the government’s perennial problem of inadequate funds, I share Panganiban’s point of view that there is another solution that is painless: just put more sense in the National Government’s schedule of disbursements of agricultural funds.

If the Department of Budget and Management can just correct the hideous timing by which funds are disbursed to the agriculture sector, this could considerably help strengthen the sector‚s output.

What happens now is that the funds badly needed during the first quarter at the start of the planting season for rice, for example, are released by the budget department so late in the year. Who needs hay when the horse is already dead?

As early as January, funds should be coming in for the department to be able to assist farmers in acquiring the production inputs such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, and later in providing the post-harvest facilities to maximize the output.

The early part of the year is also the best time to rehabilitate irrigation systems, especially for rice and corn. The DA, for example, wants the DBM to release P3.3 billion to the DA in the first quarter to repair deteriorating irrigation systems that will bring the needed water to farmlands.

Currently, only about 840,000 hectares out of the existing 1.2 million hectares of irrigated systems are functioning. A more efficient irrigation network will enable the agri sector to optimize the gains of pursuing its hybrid rice production program. Hybrid rice planting can yield as much as 10 metric tons per hectare, but only if the irrigation system is working effectively.

Admittedly, it is difficult to contend with unpredictable weather. Still, there are simple solutions that can be adopted; everyone in the bureaucracy, however, must get their priorities right. Maybe, the answer is as simple as getting the farms ready at the right time, even before disaster strikes. Or, finding solutions, rather than excuses.

Non-wager poker tournaments are here to stay

The story of the phenomenal rise in popularity of non-wager poker tournaments is not complete without citing the support of the forward-looking president of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Rafael "Butch" Francisco. After months of discussions with the Poker Club of the Philippines, he saw the merit of promoting the game of poker through skills competition and supported the Poker King Challenge project, a series of non-wager tournaments conducted by the Poker Club.

Noting the enthusiastic response of poker players as the Poker King Challenge games were held in several Casino Filipino sites, Casino Filipino Tagaytay led by branch manager Alex Betita and Airport Casino Filipino Paranaque headed by senior branch manager Rogelio "JB" Bangsil Jr., added to the excitement by organizing their respective tournaments and thereby opening the casinos to new groups of patrons looking for poker competition. Now comes Casino Filipino Angeles where branch manager Alex Ozaeta and his team are gearing for their own tournament on 4th February 2006.

With the completion of the Poker King Challenge series, the Poker Club of the Philippines is again raising the level of tournament play by launching the Poker Tour of the Philippines Million-Peso Hold’em Philippine Championship. At stake in the biggest non-wager poker tournament is a guaranteed prize pool amounting to P1.6-million, plus the Grand Winner receiving an elegantly designed bracelet marked "Philippine Hold’em Champion" and P1 million in prizes.

Those interested to face the challenge and test their skills in high level competition are invited to step up in tournament play and join the ongoing satellite tournaments to earn a guaranteed seat to the Main Event of the Million-Peso Hold’ em Championships. Visit www.PhilippinePokerTour.com <http://www.philippinepokertour.com/> or call the Secretariat (c/o Cindy) 817-9092 or 812-0153 for more details.

Or e-mail me at [email protected] or at [email protected]. If you wish to view the previous columns, you may visit my website at http://bizlinks.linkedge.biz.