AGRICULTURE stakeholders meet with the Department of Agriculture (DA) to discuss major agri-fishery concerns and priority programs to improve the farm and fishery sector for this year. This was held during a roundtable meeting between Agriculture Secretary William Dar and the chairpersons of the National Banner Program Committees (NBPCs) and Other Priority Program Committees (OPPCs) under the Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF) held on Wednesday.

“We recognize all your engagements is “silently working for the from the private sector good of the industry and for the and civil society organizations, good of the farmers and fishers.” at kailangan na kailangan po ang “Ako po ay nandito na tutulong partnership ninyo with the Department sa ating mga magsasaka at of Agriculture. I would mangingisda at sana sama-sama like to emphasize that we are not po tayong lahat, ‘yung kagaya ng against partnerships or consultative mga liders ng mga farmers’ associations, processes. It is always a good the civil society. Consultation practice,” Dar said. is a must, but at the end of

The private sector stakeholders the day, we need to distill all these representing the PCAF program and have the best decision for the committees on rice, poultry, livestock country,” Dar said. and corn, coconut, high-value During the meeting, the DA crops (HVC), fisheries and aquaculture, secretary also reported the Duterte climate change, environment, legacy for the Philippine agriand natural resources presented to fishery sector and presented strategies the DA chief their recommendations to aid the country survive the to improve the productivity brewing food crisis. and profitability of the sector. Moreover, Dar highlighted the

These include the development National Agriculture and Fisheries of vaccines against the African Modernization and Industrialization swine fever, exploring fertilizer Plan (Nafmip), which is a 10year alternatives, updating of commodity strategic plan that is a product roadmaps, participatory assessof multisectoral consultations and ment of the Rice Tariffication Law, the whole-of-nation approach. He review of importation policies, and said that the Nafmip, with its proposed establishment of postharvest and budget of P250 billion per processing facilities, among others. year, is a legacy and a very detailed

While acknowledging the stakeholders’ strategic plan that can be the guide advice, Dar reassured the for the next administration. body that the Agriculture department “There is global disruption of

food supply chain. The new leadership is given this challenge and one thing to highlight here is there must be political will to produce as much as we could in the country. The leadership of the BBM (Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.) presidency will have that political will to give topmost priority to the sector of agriculture and allocate significant budget support,” he added.

The roundtable meeting was participated by Assistant Secretary for Regulations Liza Battad; Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications Noel Reyes; Rice NBPC Chairman Hazel Tanchuling; Poultry, Livestock and Corn NBPC Chairman Arnulfo Frontuna; HVC-Rubber NBPC

Chairman Alfonso Jack Sandique; and HVC-Coffee and Cacao NBPC Chairman David Santos.

HVC-Fruits and Vegetables NBPC Chairman Ramon Marañon, Climate Change, Environment and Natural Resources OPPC Chairman Marita Rodriguez; Fisheries and Aquaculture NBPC Chairman Dinna Umengan; HVC-Fiber Crops NBPC Chairman Michael Edward Claparols; and Coconut NBPC Chairman Charles Avila also attended the meeting.

Boardroom Watch editor Margie Logarta, who also handles Keep in View, is on leave. The Manila Times will resume running her pages when she returns.