ILOILO CITY, (PIA) -- Municipal agricultural officers in the region, civil society organization representatives, processors, government agencies, and stakeholders recently gathered for a two-day consultation on the crafting and updating of the National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan (NAFMIP).

According to the press report of the Department of Agriculture (DA) 6, the NAFMIP is a directional plan that is in comparison with other operational plans such as the Provincial Commodity Investment Plan of the Philippine Rural Development Project, product and fishery roadmaps, and provincial agriculture and fishery extension collaborative plans.

A chunk of the national plan entails huge investments such as structures which comprise interprovincial and regional scopes.

Recoter, meanwhile, likened the gross value-added of agriculture in Western Visayas to a roller coaster.

Such was attributed to a substantial decline in the economic gross every three years that is connected to extreme weather conditions like typhoons and El Niño.

The onslaught of Typhoon Odette resulted to P5 billion worth of agri damages, according to DA 6.  

Director Recoter conveyed her gratitude to the farmers and fishers as key persons in ensuring food security amid the pandemic.

Local government units were also lauded for their continued support of the agriculture sector. (AAL/LML/PIA-6/DA-6)