President Rody Duterte's State Visits to two of the country's biggest trading partners in Asia in a span of two weeks may yet result in the dramatic reshaping and modernisation of Philippine agriculture.
For me, the fruits of the President's rigorous travels are now the proving to be the realisation of the wish I shared with him during our recent travel to the island-province of Basilan on Oct. 10.
Apparently impressed and happy with the tractors, fishing boats, seeds and fertilisers which we readily gave to the farmers of Basilan whose coconut farms were devastated by insects which killed the trees, President Duterte turned to me and asked "What more do you need? How many more tractors?"
I immediately pounced on that opening and told him what needed to be done to lift farmers and fishermen from poverty and help them produce more food for the country.
"Mr. President, if we deliver our interventions to Philippine agriculture and fisheries by piecemeal, we will never be able to change things," I told him.
I also warned him that if he does not deliver all the needed interventions during his Presidency, the country may never have another leader who deeply understands agriculture like him.
That was when I told him that under his Presidency, the following interventions must be delivered:
1. Mechanization and modernisation of the rice and corn industry by acquiring farm tractors, rice cultivators, planters, harvesters, dryers, mills and storage and processing facilities.
These interventions would lower the cost of production and reduce post harvest losses which run up to 16% of the total harvest. It would also empower the farmers to get a better price for their produce.
2. Establishment of fish ports, fish landings, cold storage, ice-making and processing facilities in key fishing grounds and fish production areas of the country.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), almost 40% of the fish catch and harvest of fisher folks and high value marine products farmers are spoiled because of the lack of post harvest facilities.
3. Completion of the construction of the remaining 3,500 kilometres of farm to market roads all over the country to facilitate the transport of products to the market.
I asked him to consider availing of long term loans from either or both China and Japan so that these important agriculture and fisheries infrastructure facilities are established and completed during his Presidency.
The other aspects of Philippine agriculture like support to high value crops, including processing and manufacturing, could be handled by the Department of Agriculture through its annual budget allocation.
The President just nodded after listening to me in that brief moment in Lamitan City, Basilan.
Little did I know that he remembered everything that I shared with him.
In Beijing last week, I received a pleasant surprise when he announced that Philippine agriculture and fisheries would get the biggest share of the estimated $6-B which China would grant to the the Philippine government.
Last night in Tokyo, he once again repeated the same sales pitch emphasising that Japan's support to Philippine agriculture would greatly contribute to the attainment of peace in the country and in lifting Filipinos out of poverty.
During the state dinner with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in the Prime Minister's official residence last night, I was seated beside the agriculture minister of Japan and we talked about the possibility of a Yen Loan for the acquisition of farm equipment including post harvest facilities.
Today, as I leave Japan for two more engagements in Canada and the United States to promote Philippine agriculture products, I feel like I am on Cloud 9.
I am now imagining a Philippine rural scene where concrete roads lead from the farms to the market, where tractors, planters, harvesters and processing mills are humming and working in the countryside and where the bountiful harvest from the country's coastal waters reach the wet markets of the big cities and even the remotes villages in the country.
A dream?
Not anymore. President Duterte is making all of this a reality.
By Manny Piñol
