‘The Biggest Job In The World Is Getting Bigger” – BASF, Referring To Agriculture. If We Want To Succeed In The Field, PH Needs Billions In Its Budget!
It is too much, yes – that is, if you don’t know the reason why. I’m reading ANN’s report, “DA Chief Cites Major Strides In Rice Sector Three Years After RTL” (Author Not Named, 19 May 2022, DA.gov.ph). Because it has been 3 years since the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), the total amount we are talking about is already P30,000,000,000.
(“The biggest job” image from BASF, Twitter.com)
With Senator Cynthia Villar leading the RTL framers, the law that allots so much additional funds to the Department of Agriculture (DA) was signed by PRRD on 14 February 2019. That was some 6 months before William Dar was appointed Secretary of Agriculture; here now is Mr Dar reporting on the RTL as according to ANN:
While the initial implementation of the RTL proved to be challenging due to start-up glitches, coupled with a protracted pandemic, the law served as the major [game-changer] that spearheaded the structural transformation of the country’s agriculture sector.
Note: Mr Dar is saying the RTL “spearheaded the structural transformation” of PH Agriculture. Further:
Our mid-term review showed that the RTL provides for the appropriate policy framework and productivity-enhancing provisions to catalyze the transformation of the rice industry – From one that is focused on self-sufficiency to one that is less reliant on rice imports,
That is to say, PH is veering from a policy of self-sufficiency in rice to a policy of reduced imports. Even if we cannot produce all of the rice for our citizens, we have to produce morefor ourselves at any rate. Rice imports are problematic – the less rice problems we have, the better for the country.
ANN says:
Secretary Dar attributed the success of RTL to its framers, led by Senator Cynthia Villar, who masterfully steered the crafting and implementation of the new rice regime after more than 30 years of failed attempts under previous administrations.
Mr Dar gave much credit for the RTL to Sen Villar, saying:
None of this will be possible if not for the political will and [grassroots] understanding of the rice sector by Senator Villar. As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture, she worked hard for RTL to be realized, effectively ridding us of the numerous inefficiencies that hounded our [Quantitative Restrictions] regime.
Under the law, the DA allots the P10 Billion to 4 components of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund: (1) farm mechanization, P5 Billion; (2) development & promotion of inbred rice, P3 Billion; (3) credit assistance, P1 Billion; and extension & training services, P1 Billion.
Since I am an educator – BSA major in Ag Edu, UP Los Baños ’65 – I am quite interested in extension & training:
The DA’s Agriculture Training Institute (ATI) has not been active in extension. ATI, there’s a million things to do!@517
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