This was bared in the department’s report submitted to Malacañang by Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo, Jr. recently.
"The objective is to ensure a sound policy environment that is conducive to increased investments in agriculture and fisheries — one that is market-oriented and which addresses the key concerns of food security, poverty alleviation and social security, job generation, increased income, global competitiveness and resource sustainability," the report said.
"With the support of all sectors, food security is hoped to be attained for the benefit of everybody. The DA shall vigorously strive to increase agricultural productivity to achieve the goal of food sufficiency, while exploring other means of shoring up and maintaining a certain level of emergency food reserves, should the situation call for it. At the same time, the DA will always ensure high food safety standards," the report continued.
Since President Arroyo announced the government’s program to generate one million jobs in her 2001 State of the Nation Address, a total of 1,026,216 jobs had been created by the Office of the Million Jobs Program once headed by Secretary Lorenzo, the report noted.
Of this number, the Department of Agriculture has generated 269,766 jobs through the implementation of the agricultural programs and projects, including the counterpart program of the DA and local government units. The DA has created 71,075 jobs for irrigation, 7,128 jobs for post harvest facilities for credit through Quedancor, the report stated. Further, the Land Bank of the Philippines generated 136,958 jobs through its various agricultural credit programs.
Of the more than a million jobs generated by the Million Jobs program, 383,205 were direct jobs and 643,011 were indirect jobs, the report added.
The agricultural sector registered a 3.89 percent growth during the calendar year 2002. Fisheries exhibited the highest growth of 6.77 percent, followed by poultry with 6.13 percent. The livestock subsector grew by 4.39 percent, while the crops subsector recorded a 1.39 percent growth. Value of agricultural production was estimated at P617.9 billion at current prices, representing a 7.38 percent increase in gross returns.
To further improve productivity, the DA will encourage and provide farmers ways to diversify production, improve the efficiency of the marketing systems and facilitate credit low to agriculture.
"The DA is relying on hybrid seeds and other improved genetic materials to dramatically increase productivity. With increased productivity, more jobs are expected to be generated in the countryside," the report added.