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Sunday, 26 October 2008 |
Task force formed to oversee food program 
Notable personalities in agriculture tapped to help make sure multi-billion budget for program is used
by Ira Karen Apanay Senior Reporter, Thursday, April 10, 2008, Manila Times
TO make sure the country will not be hard-hit by a food crisis, the Department of Agriculture created a task force to help sustain record-high rice yields, and eventually achieve self-sufficiency in grains and other food products.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said the Eminent Persons Task Force will be composed of former Agriculture secretaries and other agricultural experts like Dr. Emil Javier, Dr. Leo Gonzalez, Dr. Santiago Obien, former Agriculture Undersecretary Apolinario Bautista and former National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Gregorio Tan.
The forming of the task force was planned during Yap ’s meeting at the Manila Hotel with two former Agriculture secretaries, Congressman Salvador Escudero 3rd and Secretary Domingo Panganiban who heads the National Anti-Poverty Commission.
Besides the creation of this high-level task force, Yap also held separate talks at the Manila Hotel with Catholic Church leaders to flesh out the department’s plans to tap the network of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and its social arm, the National Secretariat for Social Action, in the nationwide distribution of government-subsidized rice for the poor that the NFA is selling at P18.25 a kilo.
After meeting with Senators and House members on Wednesday, Yap declared the task force will help oversee the implementation of the “FIELDS Initiative” of President Gloria Arroyo.
“The experts who will comprise our Eminent Persons Task Force will help carry out FIELDS and ensure full transparency in the disbursement of funds under this multibillion-peso initiative, that represents the biggest farm spending ever by Government,” Yap said.
Multi-billion peso program
FIELDS stands for Fertilizer, Irrigation, Education and training of farmers and fisher folk, Loans, Dryers and other postharvest facilities, and Seeds of the high-yielding, hybrid varieties, which was unveiled by the President in last week’s National Food Summit held at the Clark Freeport in Pampanga. The program is worth at least P40 billion.
Several farmers’ and agribusiness groups have thrown their support behind the President’s FIELDS program. Among them are the Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Organization Inc. led by its President, Roberto Amores; Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry led by its Chairman Emeritus Ambassador Donald Dee; Philmaize, represented by outstanding female farmer Rosalie Ellasus; Philippine Association of Broiler Integrators represented by Rita Imelda Palabyab; Philippine Fishing Federation represented by Alonzo Tan; and the Philippine Vegetable Council of Lyndon Tan.
The President’s FIELDS initiative covers the following:
• P500 million for fertilizer support from the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, with special focus on the use of organic fertilizers;
• P6 billion for irrigation, with the goal of rehabilitating all irrigation systems that need to be repaired or rehabilitated by 2010;
• P6 billion for farm-to-market roads and other rural infrastructure like roll-on roll-off (RORO) ferry terminals.
• P5 billion for education, extension and training of farmers on new technologies and research and development on how to increase farm yields and lower production costs;
• P15 billion in loans and credit for farmers, fisherfolk and other small rural borrowers, which is on top of the P5 billion the Presidient earlier ordered the LandBank to make available to rice farmers;
• P2 billion for dryers and other postharvest support like storage facilities; and
• P9.2 billion for hybrid and certified seed production and subsidies until 2010, of which P6.5 billion will be for certified seeds and P2.7 billion for hybrid seeds.
Under the last item, the target is to plant certified seeds in 600,000 hectares this year and hybrid seeds in 900,000 hectares in 2009 and 2010. |
