QUEZON CITY -- Following the announcement of President-elect Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to temporarily lead the Department of Agriculture (DA), agriculture secretary William D. Dar said during a press briefing on June 21, 2022 that he and the entire OneDA Family are more than willing to brief and assist him attain food security and food sovereignty amid the impending food crisis.

“We welcome the decision of President-elect Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to personally oversee and be at the helm of the Department of Agriculture. This is the brand of ‘political will’ that we have been advocating since we assumed office in August 2019,” Secretary Dar said.

He added that the recent pronouncement of President-elect Marcos Jr. is a very strategic decision, giving the agriculture sector utmost priority, and thus bigger budget for DA in the years to come.

“We see this pronouncement as a victory of the DA in rousing broad public support towards the sector’s rehabilitation and empowerment,” Sec. Dar said.

“His resolve to take the reins is a strong indication to this. We are confident this will augur an unprecedented ‘whole-of-government’ movement for the urgent attainment of food sovereignty in this time of crisis,” he added.

The agri chief also noted that the DA has already prepared a transition report, outlining the short-, medium- and long- terms plans of the Department to significantly increase the productivity of key commodities such as rice and corn, and other fishery products, and augment the incomes of farmers and fisherfolk.

“The present leadership is ready to brief the President-elect at his most convenient time, and we assure him of our strong support and cooperation, as we truly want him to succeed,” the agri chief said.

The transition report contains the current state of the Philippine agriculture, as well as recommendations and policy proposals. It is divided into five chapters: 1) Unfinished Business of the Sector, 2) Situational Analysis over two decades, 3) Policy Recommendations, 4) Major Accomplishments of DA, and 5) Agenda Forward.

In relation to the looming global food crisis, Secretary Dar also shared the list of programs that the next administration should prioritize such as the Balanced Fertilization Strategy, which will upscale the use of bio-fertilizers and stimulants. He added that an increase in the budget for fuel and fertilizer subsidy to subsidize other commodity such as vegetables is also crucial.

Some of the other programs he mentioned which are currently being implemented under the Plant, Plant, Plant program Part 2 are:

·         Provision of fuel and fertilizer subsidies;

·         Local feeds formulation and production;

·         Urban and Peri-urban farming, including vegetable production, in provinces not frequently visited by typhoons;

·         Aquaculture and mariculture production; and

·         Food mobilization through Kadiwa marketing program.

Secretary Dar stressed that a Bureau of Agri-Industry Cooperative must be created to regularize Kadiwa programs, and the transfer of the Food Terminal Incorporated back to the Department is imperative.

The DA chief said that Philippine agriculture must be modernized and industrialized to make it globally competitive. “We have crafted a 10-year National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization and Industrialization Plan (NAFMIP), and we fervently hope the President-elect will favorably consider it to attain our joint aspiration of food security and food sovereignty in the next six years,” he concluded. (KJMerle, DA-AFID)