NGO offers to help gov’t on agricultural issues

MANILA, Philippines — A Central Luzon-based non-government organization has offered to help government in resolving issues hounding the agriculture sector.

In a statement, the Agricultural Growth through Inclusivity and Leadership by the Private Sector for Acceleration of Modernization and Industrialization, also known as AGILA,  led by former Candaba, Pampanga mayor Jerry Pelayo, identified the current problems of the sector such as drawback in logistics, rising demand due to growing population, and the effects of climate change.

AGILA is an NGO composed of experts from the academe, scientists, seasoned farmers, local leaders, former government officials, and stakeholders that aims to promote inclusive agricultural growth through clean modernization and industrialization.

Pelayo said that for one, agricultural importation should be made government-to-government, and all transactions must be published for transparency. The group also suggests the need to create a monitoring board to efficiently keep an eye on imports and avoid hoarding of goods.

Pelayo also cited need for the Department of Agriculture to have police power in order to put more teeth in the law.

The former mayor turned full-time farmer also raised the importance for DA to compute the total production of commodities like rice, livestock, and other fresh produce, and compare these data to the average consumption every year.

“There is also a need to tap the state agricultural universities and colleges in our country to help address the anticipated agricultural setback in the future,” he said.

In addition, Pelayo said AGILA asserts its support to the DA by complementing their own initiatives to that of the programs and plans of the national government.

“Our group is willing to guide the LGUs and lead the farmers to gain more knowledge including financial literacy, and let them identify every community’s agricultural requirements, and we help by letting our local farmers plant what is only needed, thereby diminishing oversupply and irregular price of fresh produce,” Pelayo said.