Agriculture industry groups on Monday called on the next administration to prioritize local production in ensuring the country’s food security amid various domestic and global challenges.
Food security advocacy group Tugon Kabuhayan urged candidates to “prioritize” food security once they are elected, and pay attention to increasing domestic agricultural production.
“This call is not just for the candidates to prioritize our food security but moreover, a call to all Filipinos to vote for the right candidate who will propel our economy towards sustainable development, benefiting our major food producers; our fisherfolk and farmers,” the group said in a news statement.
The group also pointed out that the demand for protein-rich foods in the country would continue to increase as the Filipino population steadily grows.
Citing Philippine Statistics Authority data, the group said that the self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) of the country for pork is at 91 percent, 92.9 percent for chicken, 89.4 percent for roundscad and 79.5 percent for tuna.
“Another threat to our food security is the continuous intrusion of China in our waters despite protests from our government and calls to uphold the 2016 Arbitral Ruling that favored our claim over disputed territory in the West Philippine Sea,” the group said.
National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc. President Chester Warren Y. Tan urged the government to rethink its strategy in attaining food security amid rising costs of raw materials caused by global economic problems.
“We have to rethink our strategy. Our feed producers need our support. One way of helping them is to increase corn production so that there is enough to feed our livestock,” Tan said.
“If we have enough feed, the cost of production for hog farmers will go down. We are able to lower the price and pass on the savings to consumers,” he added.
Fresh Options Chief Executive Officer Robert Lo proposed that the next Congress prioritize the passage of the National Land Use Act to end people’s speculation on lands, leaving them “idle and non-productive.”
Socsksargen Federation of Fishing and Allied Industries Inc. President Rosanna Contreras urged the government to suspend the excise tax and VAT on crude oil to help fishermen cope with the rising fuel prices.
“We also suggest allowing us to seek new fishing grounds to expand our operations. We hope to secure rights and licenses for these fishing grounds,” Contreras said.
Norbert Chingcuanco, Vice President for Corporate Planning of Feedmix Specialist Inc., said the government must streamline and fast-track the issuance of necessary permits for the operations of aquaculture farms so as not to waste prospective investments in the industry.
“To grow the industry, we need a faster, more efficient way for fish farmers to acquire long-term permits. Most mariculture operation permits are issued yearly, this is very risky considering the huge investment on capital outlay, technology and personnel,” he said.
“We are still waiting for the Water Use Act to be passed. We need those who are going to be in office to invest time in our industries. The aquaculture industry requests the government to allow us to lease water in different remote areas,” he added.