A crusading blogger for PH Agriculture 12 years before William Dar became Secretary of Agriculture last year, in this time of the pandemic, I have been saddened to read what Karl R Ocampo has written about the budget of the Department of Agriculture, DA, for 2021:
The Department of Agriculture (DA) saw its budget for 2021 slashed by 17 percent from the level this year despite calls from the President and select lawmakers to increase the funding for the sector, noting the significant role it could play in the economy’s recovery.
“Noting the significant role (agriculture) could play in the economy’s recovery.” In fact, it is more than Significant – it is Indispensable!
I say the above as a student of development. In history, it was agriculture in all its forms that created and cultivated communities that converted into civilizations. (Image of successful farmer from Tanibox[1])
Which came first: the Chicken or the Egg? The Egg – in this case, the Egg is Agriculture. The Hen is Economic Development.
Here is a sharing by Pragyandeep (“Role Of Agriculture In The Economic Development Of A Country[2],” Economics Discussion, undated):
The history of England is clear evidence that (the) Agricultural Revolution preceded the Industrial Revolution there. In (the USA) and Japan, also agricultural development has helped to a greater extent in the process of their industrialization. Similarly, various under-developed countries of the world engaged in the process of economic development have by now learnt the limitations of putting over-emphasis on industrialization as a means to attain higher per capita real income. “Thus industrial and agricultural developments are not alternatives but are complementary and are mutually supporting with respect to both inputs and outputs.
“The Agricultural Revolution preceded the Industrial Revolution” – food first before extra energy. Likewise in the USA and Japan. In other countries, they gave their industries more value than their agriculture – they failed in development. And why is that? From above, I quote Pragyandeep again:
Industrial and agricultural developments are not alternatives but are complementary and are mutually supporting with respect to both inputs and outputs.
Gentlemen and ladies of PH Congress, you have to equally support Industry and Agriculture – not one to the neglect of the other!
Circumstances change, but the need for billions more in the DA budget remains. Already, 4 years ago, on 11 April 2016, Mr Dar went on record as saying, “DA Budget Should Be Hiked To P300 B[3].”
This 2020, in a phone interview, Mr Dar said “they would continue to appeal to Congress for (an increase in) the agency’s budget allocation under the proposed national expenditure program.” DA’s budget proposal for 2021 is P240 billion.
Gentlemen & ladies of Congress, if you slash the Agriculture Budget by 17%, I say it is like slashing countryside development by 17% percent. You are going after Gross Domestic Product, GDP, the usual economic crap, instead of going after Gross Domestic Prosperity, GDP2, the unusual development goal – the growth that even the poor farmers will enjoy!@517
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