The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study & Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) has submitted to the Department of Agriculture a 10-year plan that outlines a P5-trillion strategic intervention aims at transforming the Philippines into a major agricultural producer.
SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn B. Gregorio told a press orientation that the “National Agriculture and Fisheries Organization and Industrialization Plan” that the plan has an indicative implementation schedule for 2021 to 2030. The plan was commissioned by the Asian Development Bank.
Gregorio said the 10-year industrialization plan requires a budget of P5.03 trillion. “The budget should come from the public sector, P2.5 trillion, while the other P2.5 trillion will come from the private sector,” he said.
The 10-year agriculture plan aligns with the thrust of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. about Philippines’ pursuing food security aims, agriculture modernization, having himself taken on the task as secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
“We have already submitted our recommendations to the Department of Agriculture (DA),” said Gregorio.
The industrialization plan has a nine-point track to carry out. These include consolidated production and post harvest facilities (commodity systems-oriented); construction of critical infrastructure spatially integrated within agri-fisheries industrial business corridors (AFIBCs); modernized food terminal facilities and similar facilities linked to transport nodes in urban and peri-urban areas; smart irrigation and water impoundment or retention systems serving two or more commodities; other large-scale infrastructure (waste management facilities, fish ports, ICT (Information Communication Technology) including high-speed connectivity; scaled up mechanization and adoption of other commercial scale-oriented technologies; large-scale production and distribution of biologically safe technologies including biopackaging; state-of-the art R&D (research and development) facilities linked to PAFES (province-led agriculture and fisheries extension systems) networks; and, development of agri-fishery enterprises and business incubation initiatives linked to large investors.
SEARCA itself has launched its own programs inspiring investments in the knowledge economy which taps on the economy’s intellectual resources in order to generate wealth.
For one, the SHARING Cafe provides for creative learning experience that can lead the young generation to contribute to farm industrialization.
“The SHARING Café is an interactive component of the SHARING innovation spaces, which aims to provide a creative learning experience geared towards Agriculture 4.0 in Southeast Asia,” said SEARCA.