Agriculture moves forward post-El Niño, La Niña

Braving the ‘perfect storm’

MANILA, Philippines — Farmers and fishermen are used to storms. But not to a “perfect storm.”

This is how Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel describes the myriad challenges the agriculture sector faced and braved through this year.

From extreme weather conditions such as El Niño, La Niña and series of typhoons, to volatile food prices and global supply chain disruptions, Filipino farmers and fishermen experienced them all this year.

The year also marked the first anniversary of Tiu Laurel as the country’s agriculture chief. And he himself told the Department of Agriculture that he is not satisfied with his performance given the various challenges the sector faced.

“My personal assessment, I would say, is not that great. But of course there are really many challenges this year,” he said.

The country’s agriculture and fisheries output contracted by 2.2 percent from January to September as farms reeled from the ill effects of extreme weather conditions.

Domestic palay harvest alone fell by 7.5 percent year-on-year during the nine-month period to 11.86 million metric tons from 12.82 million MT recorded volume in the same period last year.

Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc. (PCAFI) president Danilo Fausto estimated that full-year agriculture and fisheries output this year might contract by two percent as a result of the ill effects of the extreme weather conditions.

Meanwhile, University of Asia and the Pacific Center for Food and Agri Business (UA&P-CFA) executive director Marie Annette Galvez-Dacul estimated that full-year agriculture and fisheries’ gross value-added (GVA) could decline between one and two percent.

The crops subsector could contract between 3.5 and 4.5 percent while livestock sector may fall by 2.5 to 3.5 percent, based on UA&P-CFA’s estimates. Fisheries output is also projected to decline by as much as 2.5 percent this year.

Only the sectors of poultry as well as agricultural activities and services are projected to post full-year growth, according to the UA&P-CFA.

Dacul said the poultry subsector may grow between 5.5 and 6.5 percent while agricultural activities and services could expand by as much as three percent by the end of the year.

Moving forward, the government must work double time on its clustering and consolidation program to accelerate mechanization and modernization of rice farms in the country, Fausto said.

He emphasized that the machinery distributed by the government would be put to waste if farmers would not be working under an efficient and effective farmers’ organization or cooperative.

Furthermore, Fausto reiterated his call on the government to pour in investment in other sectors of agriculture, particularly high value crops, to further uplift the sector and provide farmers with higher returns.

He noted that the government’s budget for agriculture is “rice-centric” with at least 60 percent of the total allocation going to the rice sector, neglecting the other subsectors that contribute significantly to overall food production and security.

“We have to do things differently so that we will be able to get out of this problem of importation,” Fausto said.

“If we are dependent on others to feed us, then we are giving them the authority to starve us. And that is dangerous,” Fausto added.

In terms of agricultural performance, Fausto said the sector may rebound since there are no foreseen extreme weather phenomenon like El Niño next year.

For the UA&P-CFA, all subsectors of agriculture - from crops to fisheries - may post growth next year. It estimated that crops may increase by as much as one percent, livestock by as much as one percent, poultry by as much as six percent and fisheries by as much as 0.5 percent.

Dacul said there are multiple growth areas in the agriculture sector today which includes high value crops, aquaculture and fisheries, renewable energy, agricultural technology and innovation, agro-processing, export diversification and agri-tourism.

“Agriculture is no longer just about growing crops or raising livestock. It is about cultivating innovation, nurturing sustainability and harvesting opportunities for global progress,” she said.

Dacul pointed out that there is a need to modernize and sustain the growth of the agriculture sector to address various challenges such as food security, climate change, poverty alleviation and feeding a growing population.

She noted that agriculture remains vital today because of its diverse contributions: ensuring food security, enhancing rural development, providing employment and livelihood, sustainability, climate resilience and driving rural economic growth.

Next year provides a great opportunity for the agriculture sector to grow since it is an election year, which is expected to drive food demand and boost spending, Dacul said.

“It also presents an opportunity to push for needed reforms in the agriculture sector given that good governance is crucial to effectively implementing agriculture programs,” she added.

For Tiu Laurel, next year is a test to his leadership as he braces for the bigger challenge: producing more food at affordable prices for the Filipino public.

The agriculture chief said multiple initiatives of the DA are already underway: construction of rice processing centers, purchase of machinery to modernize farming as well as policy revisions aimed at improving efficiency and effectiveness of its programs and projects.

“No more excuse for me. No more excuses for us,” he said.

“I’m quite optimistic that we will all perform better next year,” he added.