Transforming Philippine agriculture—through a food-secure and resilient nation with empowered and prosperous farmers and fisherfolk—was the main goal of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in 2022. But as the agency focused on its OneDA Reform Agenda, agriculture leaders faced tons of challenges, including the wrath of typhoons, impact of diseases, increasing prices, and a number of controversies.
Looking back, Deputy Spokesperson Rex C. Estoperez recognized the problems that shook the agriculture sector in the past year.
“Ngayong taon, palaging problema natin sa atin po ang typhoons, ano, tapos po iyong mga dumating po na mga peste, ‘no, like for example iyong atin pong ASF , iyong Avian Flu ....Mayroon tayong iba-ibang pang mga problema–like for example iyong mga smuggling (This year, our recurring problems have been related to typhoons, pests, diseases like ASF and Avian Flu. We also have other problems. Smuggling, for example),” he recalled.
Wrath of typhoons
The year 2022 was not spared from the impact of typhoons on the agriculture sector. Like the previous years, heavy rains drastically affected farmers, and damaged their farm produce, challenging as well the agency’s efforts to preserve food security for the country.
Deciding that these recurring problems relating to typhoons must end, the DA started the fight against a bigger opponent—climate change.
“Napakalaki po, mga P290 billion na iyong assistance mula sa atin since 1990 (We have released a huge amount of assistance reaching P290 billion since 1990),” Estoperez noted. “We have to redefine and transform what is agriculture in the Philippines. We are dependent on agriculture and we are an agriculture economy. Ang ating Pangulo po ang nagsabi na we have to have iyong projects sa food security natin. At iyong climate change ano, iyon ang dapat i-address natin dahil kung patuloy po na pabayaan natin—year-in and year-out itong bumibisita sa atin—mukhang walang mangyayari sa atin (Our president himself said that we have to have food security projects. And we need to address climate change because if we don’t—with these typhoons visiting us year-in and year-out—there will be no progress).”
At present, the department is focusing on making a resilient approach to address climate change, in order to solve the problems in production, especially now that agriculture experts are having a hard time plotting a calendar for the expected entry of typhoons.
“Tinaasan po ng atin pong Kongreso iyong budget ng Department of Agriculture para isama natin sa challenge na ito iyong sa climate change (The Congress increased our budget so we can be equipped in facing the challenges brought by climate change),” the official said. “Dati po, napa-plot natin kung kailan pumapasok iyong bagyo sa atin, so ngayon hindi na, anytime pumapasok iyong bagyo sa atin at napakalakas ng bagyo, so iyon ang ating ia-address (We used to plot the entry of typhoons in the country but now, typhoons, strong typhoons, can come anytime and that’s what we are currently addressing).”
The agriculture sector is now making use of certain strategies, which include adjustments in setting up the planting and harvest seasons.
Animal diseases
Up to the last quarter of 2022, cases of animal diseases such as ASF and Avian Flu continued to add up to the total number of affected animals, bringing devastating effects on livestock and farming economy.
“Iyan po naman ay patuloy na ina-address natin (We continue to address that),” the official assured.
To note, DA collaborated with Universal Robina Corporation and Dr. Dachrit Nilubol of Chulalongkorn University in Thailand for the “Clinical Study for the Evaluation of ASF Vaccine in Protecting Pigs Against African Swine Fever” conducted from February to May 2022. Earlier, the DA revealed that ASF vaccine trials have been showing favorable results.
Meanwhile, aside from regular consultation and coordination with the poultry industry stakeholders and coordination with the DA Regional Field Offices, local government units, and other related offices, the DA-Bureau of Animal Industry also reports to the Department of Health (DOH)’s Epidemiology Bureau and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) on the status of Avian Flu in the Philippines.
Increasing prices of agri products
The increasing prices of red onions, sugar, vegetables, and several agricultural products became one of the biggest struggles of consumers this year. Just this Christmas week, Filipinos, who celebrated the holidays needing red onions for their dishes, had to deal with price hikes of up to P520 in Metro Manila.
This encouraged the agriculture agency to look for more interventions in the supply chain to lower the prices of red onions, which already had farm gate price of P300 per kilo, and were being sold at higher prices when delivered to Metro Manila through an agent, according to Estoperez.
"We have to address that also, kung papaanong intervention ang gagawin ng Department of Agriculture sa production areas (We have to address that also and determine what interventions must DA take in the production areas)," Estoperez said in a briefing yesterday, December 27.
"Tinitingnan natin kung saan tayo nagkukulang, even though alam natin there are imperfections sa sistema natin... May mga kailangan tayong intervention, lalong-lalo na doon sa atin pong value chain (We want to determine where we have been falling short, even though we know there are imperfections in our system. We need interventions, especially in our value chain)," he went on.
At present, agriculture officials are looking into interventions like credit for farmers, logistics and transportation assistance, and aid on cold storage and packaging, among others.
Stressing the need for interventions, Estoperez said, "The same is true with gulay, iyong mga gulay doon sa atin pong Mountain Province, sa Benguet, 'pag hindi ma-improve ito, including yung resiliency natin sa climate change, hindi natin maa-address ito, patuloy na mangyayari ito (The same is true with our vegetables from Mountain Province and Benguet. If we don't improve this, including our climate change resiliency, this will continue).
While there are still no estimated onion harvests for 2023, the official maintained that country has enough supply of onions and the agency is not yet considering importation.
Sugar importation mess
This was also the year when officials of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), including SRA Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, stepped down from their posts amid the aborted sugar importation controversy.
These officials were among those who signed a purportedly unauthorized resolution, allowing the importation of an additional 300,000 metric tons of sugar, which was neither signed nor approved by the President. Their resignations took place in the midst of an investigation launched by the Palace to look into the extent of accountability for the illegal order, branding it as a hasty decision despite the administration’s stance on importing agricultural goods which are to import as little as possible and boost local production.
Fight vs smuggling
The DA also intensified the fight against smuggling in 2022 with the help of the Bureau of Plant Industry, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Manila International Container Port–Customs Intelligence and Investigation Service, and Bureau of Customs, among others.
“Iyong mga smuggling. Iyan po ang challenges sa ngayon at ito po naman ay atin pong sinusubaybayan. Ito naman ay mga challenge na kaya hanapan natin ng lunas (Incidents of smuggling are some of the challenges we are facing at the moment and we continue to monitor them. These are actually challenges that can be solved),” the spokesperson assured.
Just this month, agriculture officials revealed that around P500 million worth of agricultural products have been seized while five consignees are set to face charges as government agencies intensify the fight against agricultural smuggling.
Support for agri folk, consumers
While braving a lot of challenges, the welfare of farmers, fisherfolk, and consumers, among others, became one of the priorities, as well. The department began to find strategies by looking closely at the value chain; which identifies the activities that bring a basic agricultural product from production in the field to final consumption.
"Inumpisahan na natin iyan, parang kailangan i-strengthen natin at pabilisin, ‘no? Hindi lang siguro iyong farm-to-market roads natin kung hindi iyong mga logistics po na kailangan ng ating mga producers. Iyong market nila dapat i-address din natin iyan through our market matching, kaya po mayroon tayong project na Kadiwa (We already started our initiatives, we just have to strengthen them and move faster. Not only on the construction of farm-to-marker roads, but also in ensuring adequate resources needed by our producers. Their market must also be address through our market matching, that's why we have the Kadiwa project)," Estoperez said.
The Kadiwa seeks to empower the farming community by providing a direct and effective farm-to-consumer food supply chain, eliminating as many marketing layers and allowing producers to earn bigger from directly selling their produce instead of using trader-intermediaries. It also reduces the marketing expenses which make the fresh and quality products more affordable for consumers.
The agency has also been exerting efforts in providing cold storage and other logistics, transportation assistance, and credit to farmers and fisherfolk.
Young farmers
The department also began involving the youth in the agriculture sector this year through the Young Farmers Challenge Fund (YFCF), a competitive financial grant assistance program for young people who want to engage in new agri-fishery enterprises.
"Kung titingnan natin ang average age ng ating mga magsasaka ngayon ay 57 years old. Kumbaga, 57 years old and you want to digitalize agriculture, iyong ating mga teknolohiya, hindi ko naman minamaliit pero ang sabi natin, bakit hindi natin ayusin iyong involvement of the youth doon sa ating farming (If we would take a look at it, the average age of farmers is now 57 years old. So 57 years old and you want to digitalizer agriculture, I'm not belittling their capacity but why don't we fix the involvement of the youth in our farming system)?" Estoperez noted.
For instance, he explained, the older farmers might be challenged by the new farming technologies but their children, who happens to be interested in agriculture, might understand these modern technologies a lot easier.
The YFCF grants shall serve as start-up capital for the planned agri-fishery enterprise operated by an individual youth or as a group-managed venture.
DA in 2023
Moving forward to 2023, Estoperez said the agency aims to triumph against the challenges of this tough year.
"Iyong mga pangyayari ngayon, iyong mga challenges, we hope na we can address (We hope to address the hardships and challenges that we encountered this year)," he said, expressing optimism on the increase of the department's budget.
"'Yong challenges, ang usapin na food security and climate change, doon tayo magpo-focus. Including diyan iyong atin pong tinatawag na interventions ng Department of Agriculture, iyong sa value chain na iyan, dapat i-improve at ayusin nang maigi dahil baka mamaya sinasabi nga ng ating Pangulo, we have to transform agriculture and redefine already our policies, baka mamaya ay hindi na napapanahon (Those challenges, food security, climate change, will be our focus. This includes also the DA interventions like what we have been doing on the value chain, which we need to improve and execute properly because the president might be saying we have to transform agriculture and redefine our policies, but these might not be timely anymore)," he added.