ILAUD the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) covering 2023-2028 for giving agriculture and agribusiness a clear development direction to make the sector more resilient and vibrant by pushing for modernization.

And the PDP is even honest in its assessment of Philippine agriculture, which I believe is badly needed as issues the sector faces cannot be addressed being overly optimistic.

So what does the PDP in Chapter 5 titled “Modernize Agriculture and Agribusiness” say about the current state of the country’s agriculture sector? It says: “The existing agri-food system has been dysfunctional in serving its basic roles in: a) generating decent income for the sector’s stakeholders, particularly primary producers; (b) ensuring sustainable use of natural resources; and (c) providing for the health and nutrition of consumers, and nurturing the local food culture.”

The PDP briefer, hence, states the medium-term plan aims to “modernize agriculture and agribusiness to raise overall productivity, move Philippine products up the value chain, promote diversification and ensure food security.”

Challenges identified

The PDP identified the following challenges faced by the country’s agriculture sector, and I quote them from the PDP with some explanations:

– Low farm/labor productivity – Poor adoption of modern agricultural and fishery technologies, and limited extension services are among the factors identified.

– Low access to credit and insurance, particularly among smallholder primary producers, due to challenges emanating from both the supply and demand side.

– The weak financial literacy among producers was also identified as a factor.

– Unsustainable farming practices, and underutilized agroforestry and blue economy potential.

– It was stated the potential of designated mariculture parks remain untapped while subsistence farming and poor market access limits the development of agroforestry production.

– Weak export performance

– It was pointed out that Philippine agricultural exports were mostly raw materials and semiprocessed products.

– Weak investments in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries (AFF) sector.

– Eroded investor confidence being a major reason – Inadequate infrastructure – Irrigation development has been focused on the rice sector to the detriment of high-value crop production.

– Fragmentation of agricultural lands

– The agrarian reform program was blamed for this

– High vulnerability to multidimensional shocks

– Lack of resiliency against storms, typhoons and other natural disasters.

Like what I have been stating repeatedly in addressing the issues Philippine agriculture faces, what is needed is a whole-of-society or whole-of-nation approach that the PDP is advocating. This means that concerted collective action be mobilized nationwide with the government providing the overall direction, and the various players and stakeholders converging their efforts to attain the ultimate objective of modernizing the sector.

Hence, the PDP emphasizes “the crucial role of both the government and private sector in enhancing the efficiency of AFF production, expanding access to markets and AFF-based enterprises, and improving the resilience of AFF value chains.”

Major strategies and outcomes

Specifically, four major outcomes were identified to achieve a modernized Philippine agriculture and agribusiness: Enhanced agriculture, forestry and fishery production efficiency; expanded access to markets and AFF-based enterprises; resilient AFF value chains; and strengthened agricultural institutions.

Strategies to attain each outcome were also identified, and I quote them directly from the PDP.

To attain enhanced agriculture, forestry and fishery production efficiency, the following strategies will be pursued: Consolidate/cluster farms; create and facilitate adoption of improved technology; and improve access of primary producers to production requirements.

For enhanced agriculture, forestry and fishery production efficiency, the strategies are: Create opportunities for the participation of primary producers in value-adding of AFF products; develop the blue economy; improve physical and digital infrastructure; improve the regulatory system for greater private sector investments; and protect local AFF against unfair competition and supply/price manipulation (including smuggling).

For improved resilience of AFF value chains, the following strategies would be pursued: Create and adopt climate- and disasterresilient technologies; strengthen local food systems; develop and mainstream early warning systems/anticipatory mechanisms; integrate climate and disaster risks in AFF planning and programming; develop innovative insurance schemes; and boost local capability on the production of AFF inputs.

For strengthened agricultural institutions, two strategies were outlined: Improve coordination and convergence of government agencies in planning, programming and budgeting; and enhance support to agricultural education and job-skills matching.

We can modernize our country’s agriculture and agribusiness based on the PDP’s strategy and outcomes as these are realistic and doable, and do not need rocket scientists or an army of scholars with IQs of 190 and above to understand and undertake.

Hence, I am optimistic the PDP’s action plan for Philippine agriculture will level up the sector provided that its strategies and outcomes are faithfully pursued. And I emphasize again that concerted collective action is among the primary drivers to realize the outcomes set by the PDP for the agriculture sector.

Notably, the PDP action plan for agriculture also mentions the attainment of food security with a separate chapter and action plans devoted for that.

I will discuss that in my next column.