Margaret Simone C. Lee
3N4
Way # 4: Strengthen Agri-food Businesses
The agricultural sector of the Philippines has long been undersupported and underappreciated
by the government. Local food producers have been selling their grown produce at bargain
prices, but the government chooses to import products. According to the Philippine Statistics
Authority, for the past 30 years, the nation's reliance on imported food has grown. Import
dependence increased from 22.5% in 2016 to 22.7% in 2017 and 29.2% in 2018, as the local
food supply could not keep up with population expansion. This not only affects the income of
the farmers, but also increases food insecurity.As a solution, farmers can be paired up with the
private sector mainly involved in the food businesses to be able to lessen food insecurity among
those in the agricultural sector, and provide stable income. Additionally, this will ensure that no
local products go to waste due to not being sold. For the agricultural sector to be able to keep
up with population growth, the government must be able to increase its funding. Instead of
increasing funding for importing products, the government must focus on rebuilding and
modernizing Philippine agriculture. Providing sustainable agriculture technology increases the
quality of produce and helps in consistent production of produce.
References:
DA Communications Group. (2020). “Increasing local food prod'n is our priority, importation is a
last resort” – DA Chief | Official Portal of the Department of Agriculture. Department of
Agriculture.
https://www.da.gov.ph/increasing-local-food-prodn-is-our-priority-importation-is-a-last-resort-da-c
hief/
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (2020). Greener cities, resilient food
systems | FAO Stories. https://www.fao.org/fao-stories/article/en/c/1308247/
Pinlac, B. (2023). PH 'forced to import' onions due to insufficient local supply, says Marcos.
Inquirer
Business.
https://business.inquirer.net/382451/ph-forced-to-import-onions-due-to-insufficient-local-supply-s
ays-marcos-2