Government is going to splurge in infrastructure development to make farming more profitable and competitive globally.

Agriculture Secretary Bernie Fondevilla said these measures also seek to make the farm and fisheries sector more profitable for small farmers, fisherfolk and agribusiness entrepreneurs. Fondevilla said these measures are:

1) Continuous investments in infrastructure as well as in equipment that heighten productivity;
2) Implementation of a postharvest program that provides dryers chillers and ports to minimize post-production losses for farmers and fisherfolk;
3) Strengthening of guarantee funds to extend loans and insurance for food production to farmers and fishers;
4) Assistance for the dissemination and availability of information and training for new and sustainable technologies and practices; and
5) Institution of policy reforms to promote sustainable agriculture are the measures carried out by the DA to keep Philippine agriculture resilient.

At current prices, Philippine agriculture grossed P1.2 trillion in 2009, representing a 2.18 percent increase from the 2008 level, Fondevilla said.

“The primary aim of government policies and programs in the agriculture sector is to make farm and fisheries producers profitable and competitive,” Fondevilla said before economists and members of the business community during the Yearend Philippine Economic Briefing held recently at a Makati City hotel.

“Profitability and competitiveness drive investments on the supply side and enables welfare enhancement, inclusive of food security, of producers through livelihood security,” Fondevilla said.

Philippine agriculture faces challenges from the biophysical environment, which has been exacerbated by climate change, and the economic environment, as shown by recent food and input price spikes in the face of trade liberalization by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

“The Philippines ’ population and the steady growth of the middle class in the region is a strong base for agriculture and food products which can provide a steady source of growth both domestically as well as for export market,” Fondevilla said.

These areas of opportunities include food production, distribution and other logistics support activities, which also include green technology in agriculture, he noted.