SENATE candidates Francis Joseph G. Escudero, currently the governor of Sorsogon, and Alan Peter S. Cayetano, the former Speaker of the House, said the agriculture sector requires a bigger budget commitment to build infrastructure like cold storage facilities.
At a forum organized by the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc., Mr. Escudero said cold storage will support farmers in far-flung areas by ensuring their produce does not spoil if it cannot be brought to market immediately.
“We lack cold storage facilities. We can’t assure the good quality of our produce without cold storage in each province. Why don’t we put up incentives for (those investing) in cold storage?” Mr. Escudero said.
On the Rice Tariffication Law, he said he plans to file amendments if elected. The law is coming up for review after three years of implementation.
“It has not achieved what it intended to do — supposedly to benefit the rice sector and rice farmers and bring rice prices down for consumers,” Mr. Escudero said.
“Our imports should be timed properly timing. Why do we import (rice) during harvest? The imports compete with what our own farmers produce. We import galunggong (round scad). If only we supported fishermen with fingerlings, the benefits should have gone to our own fishermen,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mr. Cayetano called for Presidential candidates “to commit to complete a certain number of hectares of irrigation capacity during their term. Commitment should also be (made) on a concrete number of farm to market roads to be constructed during a Presidential term,” he said.
Mr. Cayetano said agriculture should be promoted among the young as “desirable and profitable.”
“Consider that many rich people (are) engaged in agriculture, (in contrast to) the popular image of poor Filipino farmers,” he said.
“You can see (poor) farmers shown on television. But if they watch European or American movies where farmers are rich and use drones and high-tech devices, our young people will be convinced to take up farming,” he added. — Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson
