In agriculture, change will take time to come to fruition

AVANT GARDENER

Does disseminating information about agricultural issues help alleviate them? I asked Danny Fausto, president of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food (PCAFI), who holds monthly press conferences highlighting different agricultural issues, if this has helped shed light on the issues that, really, concern us all. His response was optimistic. “[The press conferences are] a platform where our members, the commodity champions, can interact with the government and air their issues, concerns, and we’re doing that,” he said. “And based on the past directives and policies, it appears that the majority, if not all our recommendations are being followed. “But some of these recommendations will take time, and results will also take time, because when you grow crops, [it’s not an] overnight [endeavor]. [It’ll take at least] 120 days.” He added that industry members are eagerly awaiting the increase in the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) annual budget, as this will be a big help to local agriculture. “...we are asking that a monitoring body for the budget, including the private sector, be included, so that we will know if the money released to the budget to the Department of Agriculture could be used properly and to the right program and timing.”

Timing is important

Timing is important when raising an issue, especially in agriculture, where production is usually tied to the seasons. “Timing is very important because crops involve weather conditions and calamities,” Fausto says. “Even [for] livestock and so on. For example, eggs. It takes a year for a layer to recover, so we’re hoping in 2024, poultry will be able to recover.” Egg prices have soared almost globally due to the spread of avian flu, and chicken prices are predicted to follow. Local industry players have, however, assured a low but steady supply until they can recover their flocks, which will take about a year.

Chain of events

“The livestock sector is already recovering, and because they are beginning to learn how to live with biosecurity,” added. The hog industry, in particular, has been [rightfully] forced to adopt strict biosecurity measures to combat the rapid spread of African Swine Fever (ASF). Unfortunately, there has been some pushback as some farmers deem biosecurity an extra expense. “And later on, our projection is… the commercial livestock farms, poultry and piggery, will go to the commercial farms because they are the ones who have the money to provide biosecurity and safety and quality of the product, and the capital to provide the value chain, the backward raw material linkages,” Fausto said. “Yun ang problema (That’s the problem).” Sometimes, solving one problem uncovers factors that may lead to other challenges, and in this case, it may be the pulling out of smaller hog farmers as necessary expenses mount. Another worry is that multinational companies might choose to buy raw agricultural materials overseas instead of locally, even if the finished products will be sold in the Philippines. “We have to… prevent these multinationals [from] …producing these products abroad…let’s let them [produce] it here by giving to them enough… cheap raw materials. [That’s what we’re aiming for] so that our agriculture sector can get a boost.”

Other concerns

The next nationwide concern, especially as El Nino looms, is water. “Now we’re talking about water because we’re anticipating the next five to 10 years, water will be the problem,” he said in Taglish. “The aquifer keeps getting deeper. I’m having wells dug as we speak, [or else] our carabaos won’t have anything to drink.” The increasing prices of agricultural products is something that citizens are growing concerned over, but it is unavoidable given the increase in prices of agricultural inputs such as fertilizer and gas. Fausto invites consumers to think of this in another way: “Increasing prices in some aspects… because if you have an increase [in] prices, then the farmers make money. They are also consumers,” he said. “So the thing to do is increase the income of the farmer. And how do you increase the income of the farmer? Increase their productivity, efficiency, and provide employment.” This is just part of the industry. There are many farmer groups who have been trying to raise concerns about their various issues, and justice, representation, and attention has eluded many of them until now. Still, understanding that given the industry’s seasonal nature, results necessarily take time to come into effect, may encourage folks seeking changes in the industry to be patient, even as they continue bringing light to their issues and advocacies.