by SENEN U. REYES
Former Executive Director, Center for Food and Agri Business, UA&P
OVER THE DECADES, the performance of the rice industry has been a traditional barometer of
the success or failure of Philippine agriculture in many government administrations. Rice has been dubbed as a political crop and remains to be the single most important crop in the country. Thus, the continuing pursuit for self-sufficiency which, according to a former secretary of the Department of Agriculture (DA), is within reach.
In fact, the plan of action of the new President and then concurrent secretary of agriculture over the short-term is to increase the yield of the country’s main staple. To jumpstart this plan, the administration increased the allocation for production under the DA’s National Rice Program from PhP15.8 billion in 2022 to PhP30.5 billion in 2023.
A new DA secretary was also appointed late last year and laid out his 3-year plan to increase agricultural productivity, lower food cost, ensure food security, and make farming and fisheries a more bankable investment alternative. Will rice, the country’s major food staple, now be able to rise to the challenge?
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