125 years of championing PH agriculture

THERE’S more to agriculture than food. Throughout millennia, people recognized how agriculture built great cities from the ground up using natural resources, farmed and crafted into necessary products.

In the Philippines, overseeing the local agriculture industry is a responsibility that falls under the Department of Agriculture (DA).

It was first known as the Department of Agriculture and Manufacturing, which began on June 12, 1898, and was one of the first agencies formed by President Emilio Aguinaldo. He later established the agency on June 23 of the same year as among the first in the Philippine government, 11 days after the proclamation of Philippine Independence.

This June 23, the Department of Agriculture commemorates its 125th Founding Anniversary with the theme “Kagawaran ng Agrikultura: 125 taong naglilingkod tungo sa Masaganang Agrikultura at Maunlad na Ekonomiya,” at the DA-Bureau of Soils and Water Management Convention Center in Quezon City.

The celebration highlights the contributions of the DA employees in the continuous development of the agri-fishery sector and supporting farmers and fisherfolk amid challenges in addressing food and nutrition security.

Convergence to empower farming communities

SM FOUNDATION continues to expand the reach of the Kabalikat sa Kabuhayan on Sustainable Agriculture Program (KSK-SAP) to help build empowered farming communities across the Philippines.

Joined by its partners, Moca Family Farm, TESDA, DSWD, DA, DOST, DTI, DOT, SM City Masinag, and continuing the recent launches in multiple locations across Calabarzon and other regions in the country, the recently launched SMFI’s KSK-SAP in Antipolo, Rizal, aims to produce quality, safe, fresh fruits and vegetables and to prepare farmers in becoming entrepreneurs.

Farming hope together

KSK-SAP trainees will undergo a two-phase program with its partner school. Learning sessions begin with a 14-week training program with topics on modern agritechnology, capacity building, financial literacy, values formation, product development, and market opportunities.

SMFI also assists the farmers in formalizing their respective groups through partner government agencies to increase their learning capacity and enable them to contribute to economic growth.

KSK-SAP farmers will begin the first phase by joining the SM Sunday Market, an SM Supermalls initiative that helps marginalized farmers. Participants will receive additional training in sales and marketing for their agribusinesses and gain a platform to exhibit their products.

The collaborative effort empowers them to earn a substantial income and enables them to showcase their dedication, talent, and the exceptional quality of their products to a broader market.

Since 2007, KSK-SAP has helped more than 28,500 marginalized farmers from rural and urban areas in the Philippines, fueling their entrepreneurial and farming capabilities. Some of the program’s graduates become seasonal suppliers for the SM group and other local markets and exhibitors at government-led programs such as DTI’s One Town, One Product (OTOP).

SM Foundation’s KSK-SAP is conducted in partnership with SM Supermalls, TESDA, DA, DSWD, DOST, DTI, DOT, and partner farm schools.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is also the concurrent DA Secretary and will be present during the festivities to discuss his highly-promoted Kadiwa program and other agricultural issues.

Local agriculture at a glance

From July to December 2022, the Philippines’ agricultural sector achieved a modest production growth of 0.7 percent, amounting to P931.8B in gross value added (GVA) in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, compared to the same period in 2021.

Recent data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows a 2.2 percent or P9.8B expansion in agricultural GVA at constant 2018 prices during 2023’s opening quarter. The numbers are the highest quarter-onquarter growth recorded for the sector since the third quarter of 2019.

In the meantime, the country’s exports of agro-based products rose to $7.5B in 2022, posting a 10 percent $678.68M increase compared to the same period in 2021. The increase came from a 32.1 percent or $623.5M expansion in exporting coconut products. However, foreign data on agriculture from January to March this year indicated a $405.2M or 25.7 percent decline in agro-based export values year-to-date.

The DA in action

From July 2022 to April 2023, the DA implemented its plans, programs, and key strategies, which led to significant accomplishments.

High-impact programs and projects were a relevant highlight throughout the Marcos Administration’s formative months. These include the provision of a comprehensive set of assistance services for Filipino rice farmers under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Program. These services allowed rice farmers to prevent drastic declines in palay production as the volume of harvests of the crop remained stable throughout the period.

Another program from the agency provides intensified agricultural credit support and services to help farmers and fishermen to finance their activities and capital requirements, along with supporting the recovery and immediate rehabilitation of agricultural and livelihood activities damaged by various disasters.

DA’s KADIWA ni Ani at Kita Program also upscaled with the launching of the KADIWA ng Pangulo initiative to manage food inflation and provide more income opportunities for Filipino farmers, fisherfolk, and MSMEs through direct farm-toconsumer trade, alongside efforts to improve agricultural productivity and strengthen the local agricultural value chain system.

Following the success of the local DA, the World Bank-supported Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP) has increased rural incomes and enhanced farm

Turn and fishery productivity through the provision of infrastructure and a variety of facilities for the sector and the promotion of enterprises and delivery of new technologies and information.

Evidence from impact assessment activities reveals that beneficiaries of the Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Program increased average on-farm and household income. These have contributed to the reduction of poverty and hunger in program areas. The hunger incidence among farmers and fisherfolk beneficiaries decreased by 2.8 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively, from 2016 to 2020.

The Department has also implemented a program of targeted subsidies and special projects to help farmers and fisherfolk to cope amid demanding circumstances. And to meet the challenges posed by increasing prices of vital farm inputs such as fertilizers and fuel, the Department distributed discount vouchers among qualified farmers and fisherfolk.

Despite challenges and setbacks during the previous year, the DA instituted regulatory policies to stabilize the price and supply of sugar and onion, even as the agency carried out measures to improve productivity in the value chain of both commodities.

Other initiatives from the DA include prioritizing programs that improve the Philippines’ farm and fishery products in the world market. The DA is currently facilitating the export of other high-value agricultural commodities to foreign markets, including fresh and frozen durian exports to China; fresh dragon fruit to Australia; young coconut to Taiwan; corn seeds to Colombia; Hass avocado to Korea and Japan; papaya seeds to India and Ecuador; fresh pineapples to the USA; and fresh pineapple and mango to Israel, among others.

Additionally, Executive Order No. 10, Series of 2022 on Extending the Temporary Modification of Rates of Import Duty on Various Products Under Section 1611 of Republic Act No. 10863, otherwise known as the “Customs Modernization and Tariff Act,” extends the validity of the reduced import rate duties on various products such as pork, rice, corn, and coal. It aims to boost government efforts to augment domestic supplies, diversify sources of food staples, and temper inflationary pressures arising from supply constraints and external geopolitical conflicts.

As for imports, the DA will continue to fight smuggling, price manipulation, and other unfair trade practices to ensure food safety, promote fair trade, and protect the livelihood and well-being of Filipino farmers and fisherfolk.

Last but not least, the DA keeps livestock and poultry health a top priority. The agency stays on top of various health hazards that could threaten the local economy and its stakeholders.

An example is how the government recalibrated strategies toward the recovery of the hog industry with the full-blown implementation of the hog repopulation program to address African Swine Fever (ASF).

In addition, the DA has instituted more stringent and heightened regulations to prevent the spread of the disease and control the outbreak.

On the other hand, prospects for the immediate recovery and eradication of Avian Influenza look promising, with six provinces already regaining AI-free status. The Department reinforced its campaign against the proliferation of smuggled agricultural commodities and strengthened the first border measures with the support and assistance of other national governments and law enforcement agencies.

Without our local farmers and the agriculture industry, the Philippines would remain static in a primitive age. But thanks to the DA, the country has taken all the necessary steps to progress and become globally competitive.