It is us, not the US, not them.
For all our aggie troubles, we Southeast Asians, we Filipinos are to blame for our disappointing progress, not having understood well our socio-economic lives. And it is no laughing matter. (Sharing a light moment in a meeting, lower image, head of PH Department of Education Leonor Briones and SEARCA Director Glenn B Gregorio – She is head of SEARCA’s focal PH agency.)
Especially in Agriculture.
Since their May 2020 “SEARCA Policy Paper 2020-1” (upper image), those 4,100 words the authors Glenn B Gregorio and Rico C Ancog spend on the huge subject matter – excluding tables and figures – are too daunting for me, I will concentrate on the most meanings-full paragraph of them all, the 4th, the items of which jibe with those being addressed by the PH Department of Agriculture, DA, that I support.
The authors say:
The limited capacity of the Southeast Asian countries to maximize the contribution of agriculture in terms of yield and income has been due to a myriad of factors, spanning: relatively small farm holdings; problematic land and tenurial systems; limited availability of high-quality seeds; pests and diseases; constrained access to farm inputs, irrigation, and recommended agricultural practices; weather and climatic hazards; environmental degradation; absence of sufficient safety nets and financial support; and lack of strong market institutions, among others.
Count the ;s plus 1 equals 9: That is a long list of constraints!
“Yield and income” – isn’t that literally but an unconscious affirmation of PH Secretary of Agriculture William Dar’s current slogan, “Ani at Kita!”
9 constraints limiting Southeast Asia from maximizing the outputs and outcomes from its own agriculture within the region. Now then, here are my brief comments on the list:
(1) Relatively small farm holdings –
Contrary to EF Schumacher, Small is not Beautiful.
Contrary to EF Schumacher, Small is not Beautiful.
(2) Problematic land and tenurial systems –
Sorry, the activists are blaming lack of land ownership as the reason for farmer poverty.
Sorry, the activists are blaming lack of land ownership as the reason for farmer poverty.
(3) Limited availability of high-quality seeds –
It is only now, during the Covid-19 lockdown, that so much high-quality seeds are quite available, even free.
It is only now, during the Covid-19 lockdown, that so much high-quality seeds are quite available, even free.
(4) Pests and diseases –
Wide monocultures bring about pest infestations and disease infections.
Wide monocultures bring about pest infestations and disease infections.
(5) Weather and climatic hazards –
Come with the times.
Come with the times.
(6) Environmental degradation –
Our farmers have not been working their lands soundly, abusing Mother Nature.
Our farmers have not been working their lands soundly, abusing Mother Nature.
(7) Absence of sufficient safety nets and financial support –
Again, it is only now that the DA, and government financial institutions such as LandBank, are hugely supporting aggie endeavors.
Again, it is only now that the DA, and government financial institutions such as LandBank, are hugely supporting aggie endeavors.
(8) Lack of strong market institutions –
That is why farm producers do not receive their due values from the value chain.
That is why farm producers do not receive their due values from the value chain.
(9) Constrained access to farm inputs, irrigation, and recommended agricultural practices –
I put this one last because:
I put this one last because:
Access is success!
Irrigation, I leave that to government. Access to farm inputs is essentially controlled by private interests. My prescription? Super Coops, exit Suffer Coops[1]!
Finally, recommended agricultural practices are essentially out of reach of farmers. My prescription?
Bright farmer-friendly, BFF webinars, following SEARCA’s initiative this year. With BFF webinars continuing, for aggie success, sky is the limit!@517
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