Agriculture coalition submits 'wish-list' to next president

MANILA, Philippines - The Alyansa Agrikultura, a farmer-fisherfolk coalition of 42 national and local federations and organizations representing all the major agriculture sector, has submitted a “wish-list” for an agri-fishery action agenda to all presidential candidates in the May elections.

Former Agricuture and Trade and Industry Undersecretary Ernesto Ordoñez said the wish-list seeks to:

• Ensure participation and representation of small agriculture and fishery stakeholders in planning and implementing bodies.

• Formulate a masterplan or roadmap for each agriculture subsector with small farmers and fisherfolk participation backed by full government support.

• Complete the agrarian reform program in the required five-year time frame.

• Put an immediate stop to the rampant smuggling of agricultural products.

Ordoñez and Arsenio Tanchuling, chairman and president, respectively  of Alyansa Agrikultura, said there is a need to ensure the participation and representation of agri and fishery stakeholders in formulating the necessary programs and the allocation of resources for their respective sectors.

To make the agrarian reform program truly successful, Ordoñez said that necessary support services such as credit, technical support, training and marketing must be provided.

Ordoñez and Tanchuling said there is a need to put an immediate stop to the rampant smuggling of agricultural products through the creation of an oversight government-private sector body similar to the abolished Cabinet oversight committee on anti-smuggling.