AVANT GARDENER
Every new year brings with it the hope of a new start, a better future. It is in this spirit that I present my very general hopes for the agriculture industry this 2024:
Fair profit for agriculture workers. Agriculture workers remain the poorest of the poor in the Philippines. In past lists, I’ve hoped that our farmers and fishers earn enough to be at the very least part of the middle class, and that hasn’t changed. I hope that agricultural workers are paid fairly for their work. Recognition (which they rarely get, and when they do, it’s usually lip service) is nice, but it doesn’t pay the bills.
Better transportation and infrastructure. A lot of farmers have to depend on middlemen because they don’t have the means to transport their own produce to the market. And though middlemen generally get a bad rap, they also fulfill a purpose, and not all of them are unscrupulous. If there were better roads and more transportation options, small farmers wouldn’t have to depend on one entity who has the power to dictate what prices the farmers sell their goods at.
Post-harvest facilities. Food waste is a huge problem in the agriculture industry, with a bulk of it wasted at the source. Post-harvest facilities such as cold storage units, refrigerated trucks, and so on can go a long way to preserving the freshness of seafood and produce, giving them a bigger chance of reaching the market and lowering the overall cost of food for Filipinos.
Better product design. The country has a lot of innovative and delicious products, but many of them lack the packaging aesthetics to be noticed in local and international markets. Design is subjective, and one must have a feel for what will appeal to their target market and balance that with the soul of their product and company. It’s a process that requires study, humility, and talent. It’s not something that can be outsourced to your neighbor’s kid who learned Photoshop that one summer in grade nine.
More farm tourism. Farm tourism is a great way for farms to earn extra income and for tourists to learn about where food or flowers come from. It’s also a great way to showcase the beauty of the Philippines. I hope that more tourists choose to vacation in local farms in 2024 and that farm tours become one of the must-dos when visiting the Philippines.
Better coordination between government and private sectors. Now that the President has finally chosen an Agriculture Secretary, and that Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. is from the business sector, it is hoped that he will spur the economic growth of the industry through actions such as implementing the processes that has made his family’s business a success and strengthening partnerships and cooperation between the private and government sectors.
A countrywide planting calendar. Part of why shortages and sudden price shifts in produce occur is because there isn’t any coordination between provinces, or even farms, on what to grow. Many farmers react to what vegetable made a lot of money last season, leading to a surplus in the next one. A planting calendar based on the month, province, down to the barangay may offer a bird’s eye view of what will be available on a seasonal basis, and will make it easier to predict harvests and avoid shortages.
Agriculture as a viable career choice for the youth. The lack of young people in the agriculture industry has been a concern for decades, and getting worse each year. I’ve always maintained that the way out of this is to stop with gimmicks like “making agriculture sexy” and focus on real-world results like showing the youth that farmers today, meaning their elders, are making a lot of money from it. If we want to make agriculture a viable career for the youth, we have to show them that it’s an actual career they can build a future on.
A vibrant export industry and an anti-smuggling committee. The Department of Agriculture has historically been rife with reports of smuggling. The country’s agriculture exports have also been decreasing on a yearly basis. Hopefully, exports increase and smuggling decreases in 2024.
Cheap and locally sourced food for Filipinos. Just as important as farmers getting compensated properly is that nutritious, delicious, and culturally appropriate food is available cheaply to all Filipinos. It is the paradox of the agriculture industry to be able to pay farmers well but be able to supply citizens with reasonably priced ingredients. While it can be done, it’ll take a huge amount of strategy, implementation, and political will. But wow, what a feat!
Last but not the least, I hope that my list next year is filled with different things because all the ones on this one will have been solved. It’s a lot of pressure to put on one year but hey, a girl can dream.