BAGUIO CITY – Following the Regional Agricultural Planning Workshop on November 19-22 in Baguio City, the Cordillera office of the Department of Agriculture (DA), together with its DA-attached agencies and its local, municipal, and provincial agriculture offices attended the National Agricultural Planning Summit held on November 25 to 27, 2024, at Central Luzon State University, Nueva Ecija.
The municipal agriculture officers, provincial agriculturists, agricultural programs coordination officers, and veterinarians from the provinces of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Kalinga, Ifugao, and Mountain Province have participated as key participants in the pilot activity of the National Agriculture Planning Summit. The summit was attended as well by the DA Undersecretary of Policy, Planning, and Regulations Atty. Asis G. Perez, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Development from the Office of the Secretary Noel Padre, regional executive directors of Regions 1-12, together with their representatives from the Planning, Monitoring, and Evaluation Division (PMED).
During the first day of the workshop, PMED Chief Ms. Susan D. Balanza discussed the situational analysis in the region, wherein the contribution of agriculture and fisheries in the region has declined in the overall gross regional domestic product by 1.3%. She has also added that due to the geographic status of the region, the delivery of services was a challenge. In relation to this, ASec. Padre backed the economic status of the agriculture sector in the country. “Economy continues to grow, but the agriculture, forestry, and fishery (AFF) sector has not grown as fast as the other sectors in the economy,” he stressed during his presentation on the challenges faced by the farmers and fisherfolks.
However, in line with the agency’s pursuit of better service, communication from the local to the provincial agriculturists in the Cordillera region was kept strengthened. In addition, food inflation over the years has increased, and poverty incidence among farmers has decreased by 15.6% in 2021.
Further, a SWOT analysis in the region was conducted, wherein data were consolidated from the participants and resulted in the region having the strengths on rice and high-value crops. Meanwhile, the weaknesses of the agriculture and fishery in the region were marketing and financial support. The opportunities that were from the results of the data were agritourism, expansion, and access to loans. On the other hand, the threats that prevail in the AFF sector were climate change, and pests and diseases. The SWOT analysis gave the participants, facilitators, and guests a clear image of the reality of the farmers and fisherfolks on the field.
USec. Atty. Perez emphasized the importance of robust information and investment plan, collaboration, and implementation regarding the agriculture sector in the country during his opening message. “We need to understand what is needed so that we can also identify sources not only from the national government but also from the local government and also from the private sector,” he added.
Moreover, the participants were grouped per province to map out their top commodities, production plans and costs, and issues/concerns during the continuation of the workshop. Most of the participants have said that they lack labor, facilities, and machinery. These concerns were acknowledged by the Secretary of Agriculture, Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., who attended the afternoon session. He had also shared his analysis regarding the participants’ outputs on the mapping, baselining, target-setting, and investment planning per province. He said that identifying the specific locations of facilities, irrigation systems, and machinery to be used during the post-harvest as well as their planting calendar of high-value crops should be implemented in their plans.
“We aim to gain a clear picture of the current challenges and opportunities in the sector, assess the needs, and collaboratively identify solutions to achieve our food security goals. Your participation ensures that this plan remains grounded in local realities and responsive to the needs of the farmers and fisherfolks,” Laurel expressed. By Juby Mae Cayat
