Countries in Southeast Asia could grow food all year round because they are in a region that is “blessed with the right environmental conditions,” according to Ateneo de Manila University Eagle Watch Senior Fellow Leonardo Lanzona Jr. In an interview with the BusinessMirror, Lanzona said the region also has the land resources needed to grow not only rice, but also other kinds of farm products. (See, “Asean can cut poverty as world’s food bowl, in the BusinessMirror on line, April 26, 2017.) These factors have allowed the region to earn the reputation of being the world’s food bowl.
Two Asean members—Vietnam and Thailand—are the world’s top exporters of rice. Apart from rice, Thailand also ships sugar, an important commodity used by food processors all over the world. Thailand is the world’s second biggest exporter of the sweetener. Two of the world’s top exporters of palm oil—Malaysia and Indonesia—are also in Southeast Asia. The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are regarded as three of the biggest exporters of coconut oil in the world.
The climatic condition in the Philippines is also suitable for growing other food crops, aside from coconut. Despite this, the Philippines is a laggard in the region in terms of food exports. Local farm production is not even enough to meet the needs of the country’s growing population, prompting the government to allow the importation of food items, such as rice, meat products and fruits. In some cases, agricultural products in the Philippines become more expensive because of the cost of moving these food items to urban areas (See “PHL navigates rough waters of Asean logistics industry,” in the BusinessMirror, November 8, 2018).
Unfortunately, the government has yet to make significant inroads to prop up agriculture production. While the President and his economic managers are cognizant of the importance of agriculture to boosting GDP, many of the programs aimed at improving output and farmers’ income have not been implemented. These are programs and strategies outlined in the economic blueprint of the Duterte administration, dubbed as the Philippine Development Plan (PDP).
For one, the PDP calls for an increase in investments in research and development (R&D) activities. This is a crucial strategy that would not only expand food production, but also help Philippine food products more competitive in the international market. Also, climate change now makes it imperative for the government to assist farmers and the private sector to produce food even in the harshest weather conditions.
Aside from R&D activities, the government must also seriously consider the suggestions of experts, such as economist Pablito M. Villegas, to cluster small land holdings and turn these into strategic production zones and aquaculture zones. Republic Act 8435, or the “Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1997,” allows the government to do this. RA 8435 mandates the setting up of Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zones. Villegas said such a strategy will fast-track the development of agro-processing in the country and allow the Philippines to catch up with food-exporting countries like Thailand.
The government must look at other solutions to increase agricultural production and help expand the country’s food exports. A business-as-usual stance will only put the farm sector at a disadvantage and make it more difficult for the government to make good on its promise to fight poverty, especially in rural areas.