THE Department of Agriculture is eyeing more public-private partnership (PPP) projects to HELP BOOST THE LOCAL AGRICULTURE AND fiSHERIES sector and move it toward industrialization.

During the PPP forum conducted by the DA’s Project Development Service (PDS) last November 24, Agriculture Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and Regulations Mercedita Sombilla said that “PPP is the way we need to go” to help boost the country’s agricultural production.

“I hope that as we continue to have fora like this in the future, we can develop more and more PPP projects that would really push the agricultural sector further than what we really target,” said Sombilla.

Citing the vulnerabilities of the sector that may hinder the private sector from investing in areas such as climate change, Sombilla challenged forum participants to “think of out-of-the-box strategies and projects that are beneficial for both parties.”

“We have a PPP Unit in the DA, and I hope that all our regional offices will also make a conscious effort to really look for projects that we can implement through PPP,” she added.

PPP opportunities in the sector were also presented by PDS, such as establishing production and postharvest facilities, agri-fishery industrial business corridors, and agriculture and fisheries laboratories and testing centers, among others.

During the forum, PPP Center

Capacity Building and Knowledge Management Service Director Feroisa Francisca Concordia also discussed the Philippine PPP Program, concepts, processes, legal frameworks, capacity building frameworks and updates on the PPP Code of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, the National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan 2021–2030 was explained by DA-Investment Programming Division Chief Joseph Manicad, wherein major challenges and opportunities for growth and other appropriate and relevant strategies for the sector were identified.