…and do all of the above

If you’re past 40 years of age, what are the chances that you got to watch the original TV version of the “A-Team” that featured characters like Team leader Lt. Col. Hannibal Smith, Face a.k.a Templeton Peck, the smooth talker, Mad Murdock the pilot and BA Baracus a.k.a Mr. T. They were wacky, often got into trouble and they always had to think on the fly. From that movie comes a very popular line: “I love it when a plan comes together.” It’s memorable because the A-Team never starts out with a plan. Col. Smith never has a plan, he makes one up along the way, after they are pinned down by gunfire or captured by the enemy.

I don’t want to be mean or judgmental, but I can’t help having the impression that we may have the equivalent of the A-Team at the Department of Agriculture. Under the “technical” or ministerial leadership of PBBM, the public impression was that things would be moving really fast in terms of the department laying down their plans for the next 12 to 24 months.

But instead, the department was taken over by controversy and concerns one after the other. From rice, sugar, salt, onions, fertilizers, all related to shortage and allegations of anomalies. The only place that is talking about abundance is the far-flung province of Batanes, where Governor Marilou Cayco announced they had harvested 25 tons of garlic but no one to sell them to.

In many comedy shows, one character often asks the lead: “Do you have a plan?” and the usual answer is “I’m still working on it.” In real life where you have to feed some 110 million Filipinos and in a time where the global concern and challenge is FOOD SECURITY, that answer is unacceptable.

There is a palpable fear among many Filipinos about the possibility of severe food shortages. Given how “artificial” shortages immediately and directly raise prices day to day, the question is how far are we from a real severe shortage? Does anyone at the Department of Agriculture have a scientific up-to-date record of information concerning actual stocks of agriculture products on hand? How much are under government control and how much is with the private sector? What will be our “stock position” in six to 12 months during which we can plant, harvest, store or import more.

Many people tend to complicate agriculture and food security but the fact is it has been around since the beginning of human history and even discussed in the Bible in the Book of Genesis, starting in Chapter 41 when the highest official of the land of Egypt got a heads up directly from God but could not figure out the message. This eventually brought out Joseph, who spent half of his life as a “victim” of fake news, slavery, false accusations and incarceration. With God’s guidance Joseph tells the Pharaoh that seven years of economic agricultural boom are on their way… “And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land.” Joseph went on to say that the dream was repeatedly given to the head of state because “the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.”

Joseph then advised the Pharaoh to appoint someone in charge, let him appoint his people and focus on creating surplus with one fifth or 20 percent of the total production for seven years to be put in storage and placed directly under the Pharaoh’s hand. As a result, they managed to maximize seven good years for the creation of surplus. After that followed the seven years of severe famine and the surplus was the first example on the value or importance of food security.

Things got so bad that Egyptians saw their “money” losing value because there was no product to buy. Excess cash but zero goods and the only guy who had the food was the state in the person of Joseph. Even other nations were buying from them. When cash totally devalued, people traded their cattle, then their land and, in principle, themselves just to eat and survive. From there, Joseph gave out seeds and decreed that a fifth or 20 percent of all harvest is to be the Pharaoh’s share.

What we need now is leadership that responds to both divine and human direction or revelation. The Pharaoh had visions and dreams and sought to understand them. When the experts in his court could not explain or convince him, he expanded his search and opened himself to the counsel of someone unworthy of being in his circle BUT confirmed his vision. “There is wisdom in the counsel of many” but Joseph confirmed what the Pharaoh “felt.” He spoke with wisdom but was not self-seeking.

Whoever is the “Joseph” in the DA, he better pray, real hard, and work out an immediate action plan. Do the running audit on agricultural products/stocks and projected harvests. That will tell us what needs to be imported to avoid future shortage and what should not be allowed for import to protect stable local supply chains. Give local producers momentum and reason to resume full production by protecting their market.

Afterwards, conduct an efficiency survey of regions and provinces based on climate, agricultural productivity and efficiency per location, work out a product-province matching instead of continuing with traditional areas where the pressure on the environment or the added technical inputs push costs higher. Develop rice plantations where water is abundant and accessible. Revisit the diminished “Farm Extension Program,” liberate them from LGUs and place them directly under the DA and use them as educators and developers of practical know how on natural fertilizers, free ranging, water conservation, etc. Then publicly share the plan and… DO ALL OF THE ABOVE!

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