There is enough food for everyone despite the numerous challenges faced by the agriculture sector such as natural calamities, outbreak of animal diseases and the global health crisis, according to the Department of Agriculture.
“A case in point is the African Swine Fever that, luckily, hasn’t broken down significant gains such as our historic productivity in crops,” said Agriculture Secretary William Dar.
He said the DA works to harmonize its efforts with other related sectors such as transport, energy, water, environment, manufacturing and health.
“The new normal is hardly a mere post-pandemic visualization. It is both a present and future, overrun by crisis, hitting where we are most vulnerable during the pandemic. However, on top of healing, our top concern has been to promote economic recovery as a means to mitigate hunger and malnutrition,” said Dar.
The DA mapped out the Philippine food systems encompassing not only access to food, but also the generation of income and livelihood for farmers through sustainable methods.
‘Plant, Plant, Plant’
Dar recalled historic accomplishments such as the flagship program of the DA”•“Plant, Plant, Plant” or “Ahon Lahat, Pagkain Sapat Kontra COVID-19””•which transitioned into a complete reform package, following the encouraging results and growth.
“Under the banner program ‘Plant, Plant, Plant’ is our mandate to ensure the unhampered food supply logistics. It is necessarily entwined with those of the Department of Transportation and Department of Energy. We are constantly on guard against food inflation, so the DA teams up, every so often, with the Department of Trade and Industry such as the recently launched ‘Presyong Resonable Dapat’, in partnership with Robinson’s Supermarkets,” Dar said.
He said the DA’s program “Kadiwa ni Ani at Kita” generated immense sales during the lockdown and benefited 41,357 farmers.
The DA also continues to carry on the “One DA Agenda” to transform Philippine agriculture against emerging threats to food security and the income potential of farmers and fishers who ironically were the first victims of hunger and malnutrition.
With the imposition of another lockdown for NCR and its environs, the DA recently issued a set of guidelines, directing its regional field offices to facilitate the transport and delivery of food and agri-fishery commodities to markets in NCR and other areas.
Supply chain
“We will see to it that food supply lines are kept open, and ensure continuous delivery of major food items and temper prices.” Dar said.
Among the measures that ensure safe and secure transport and delivery of agri-fishery commodities is the issuance of “Food Passes” or IATF IDs . For those without these IDs, the DA RFOs will issue new ones.
Under the guidelines issued by the Department of Interior and Local Government, those entering Metro Manila from other regions should bring the Food Passes, IATF IDs, or any ID issued by the DA and other government agencies.
The DA regional executive directors are instructed to coordinate with their provincial and municipal LGUs and buy food from Kadiwa, farmers’ and fisherfolks cooperatives and associations.
The DA-Regional Field Offices’ Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Divisions in Luzon was tasked regularly coordinate with the DA-AMAS to hasten the delivery of food and agri-fishery commodities in Metro Manila markets and Kadiwa stalls.
The DA-RFOs should also coordinate with DOH and DILG counterparts for developments regarding health and medical protocols.
Embracing changes
As the country pivots to a new world, the DA is preparing its sub-sectors to move-up, scale-up and embrace the changes, as there seems to be no turning back to the old normal.
Among the initiatives and imperatives of the DA in the next 11 months are plans to intensify the “Plant, Plant, Plant” program all over the country; upscale urban agriculture; establish more Kadiwa outlets in Metro areas; hold more activities to encourage and engage the youth in agriculture and entrepreneurship; update industry roadmaps; scale up of digital agriculture; endeavor big agricultural projects; and, implement province-led agriculture and fisheries extension systems.
“We need to rethink, as we all have to play an active part in enhancing the transformation of our agricultural areas,” Dar said.
