(Photo courtesy of the Department of Agriculture)
MANILA – Filipino farmers are not only able to deliver excellent farm-to-table products to the local market but are also capable of hitting, if not, surpassing international standards, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).
In a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, Agriculture Undersecretary for High-Value Crops and Rural Credit Evelyn Laviña said Filipino farmers can produce world-class quality products.
“Maganda ‘yung pag-ani nila dahil dito sa mga binibigay na ayuda ng Department of Agriculture, at di lang ‘yan, di lang sa pamimigay, kundi sila mismo (Their harvest is good because of the aid given by the Department of Agriculture, but not only because of the assistance, but they, themselves), as farmer, can already stand on their own, at produce better because they can appreciate it, kagaya ng ating pagpunta sa Boston, mayroon tayong mga tinatawag na kompetisyon, and nakikita natin, halimbawa sa cacao at kape, nagiging world-class tayo (Like when we went to Boston, we have this so-called competition, and we saw, for instance in cacao and coffee, we are becoming world-class),” she said.
Laviña said the Philippines has jumped from the Top 50 in 2017 up to the Top 20 in 2019, and rose to win two golds and a silver in the “World’s Best Beans” competition in 2021.
But beyond Filipins garnering awards abroad, the DA also wants to come up with agricultural interventions to further improve farmers’ activities and boost agricultural stability, as well as help those who have not initially secured global recognition.
DA deputy spokesperson and Undersecretary for Consumers and Political Affairs Kristine Evangelista, meanwhile, urged Filipinos abroad to buy Philippine-made products.
“The whole perspective on working on the quality to make sure na we’re not only at par, but we’re actually winning diba? Andami nating awards na nakukuha, so ito po sana (We are getting numerous awards, so, we hope). We are also enticing ang ating mga kababayan (our fellow countrymen) in other countries to patronize our products. We have very good arabica. We have very good robusta. And sana, one of these days, it will find its way in the coffee shops,” she said.
Crop diversification
The intercropping or diversification of high-value crops is also being eyed by the DA as an all-year revenue stream to help farmers.
This means other crops may be sown during harvest season. For instance, farmers may use coconut and rice farms to grow cacao or coffee.
“We have a plan doon sa PCA (Philippine Coconut Authority), mayroong plano kung saan ‘yung ating (we have a plan wherein) crop diversification for coffee and cacao… Maraming factors na kailangan nilang malaman and (there are factors we need to know) then they undergo a training program,” Laviña said.
Meanwhile, the DA may help farmers in soil analysis to identify what other crops they could plant and strategies they could use, as well as their locations.
However, Laviña insisted farmers better associate with cooperatives, to access the DA’s free seedlings and machinery, if needed.
“It’s easier to market, kung mayroong (if there’s) quantity, besides the quality, which is very important,” she added. (PNA)
