Government intervention in agri sector sought

MANILA, Philippines - Concerned groups have stressed the need for government intervention in the agriculture sector, including support for farmers through distribution of seeds and fertilizer and construction of irrigation systems.

The groups made the call during the observance of World Food Day yesterday.

They warned that the rice crisis may intensify with the continued rice importation policy of the government and the problem on rice cartel.

Arze Glipo, executive director of the Integrated Rural Development Foundation, said that while the country recorded its highest rice production in 2013 at 18.4 million metric tons (MT), this represented only about 96 percent rice self-sufficiency, consequently compelling the government to procure from the international market to cover the shortfall.

“The government should work for the country to become self-sufficient in rice. We should not wait for 2016 to realize this. It seems the government has been delaying this to accommodate rice imports,“ Glipo said in a news conference in Quezon City.

Meanwhile, Rene Ofreneo, former labor undersecretary and dean of the University of the Philippines School of Labor and Industrial Relations, said the Philippine agriculture sector, which experiences low productivity, limited mechanization, weak infrastructure such as irrigation systems, low research and development and propagation of science and technology knowledge and poor and underdeveloped agri-processing, cannot compete with its southeast Asian neighbors. – With Ding Cervantes