The Integrated Rural Development Foundation (IRDF), summarizes its output in a recently concluded workshop held recently at the SOLAIR in UP Diliman. In its report it said that the agricultural sector is damaged one. In view of the fact that up to now we are still importing rice and it is unabated. Coconut exports have declined and food imports continue to increase particularly on crops grown domestically.
The failure of CARP, the lack of support to small farmers and the policy of liberalization, privatization and deregulation resulted to a damaged Philippine agriculture. The lack of industrial policy linked to agriculture development led to the stagnation of rural economies and greater unemployment.
IRDF Executive Director Arze Glipo said government resources should be channeled towards supporting small farmers through a democratic mechanism budget allocation trashing the Disbursement Acceleration Program or DAP and calling for a higher agricultural budget allocation to suffice delivery of subsidy to small farmers.
Glipo notes a genuine agrarian reform program, a balance agriculture and industrialization can be an effective mechanism to address the widespread unemployment.
These recommendations according to Glipo, are possible only if the government will not falter in its moves to to investigate corruption and collusion of private traders and the bureaucracy, particularly in the importation of rice, garlic and other basic food items.
Overall, a pragmatic resource allocation for farmers short on the hype of DAP and focused on a broader development will address a damaged agri sector. Glipo ended.
Additional Report on Agriculture in other countries as featured in the You Tube..
