Ensuring food security DA’s big mission in 2024–Laurel
“STAY focused on the goal of ensuring food security next year as the country faces the challenge of El Niño and threats of external price and supply shocks.”
This is the appeal of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. to all Department of Agriculture (DA) employees, citing the importance of a united DA in fostering greater food production in spite of hurdles and limitations.
“We have a big mission next year—a very big mission. Lahat, ang buong bansa, nakatingin sa atin. Dahil nakatingin sa atin ang buong bansa, kailangan tayong mag-perform. Let’s perform and prove our critics wrong,” said Laurel.
He said: “The new DA will work towards ‘more production and less cost.’ A vast majority of our countrymen, I am confident, want us to succeed and we should not fail them.”
Laurel requested the cooperation of everyone, underscoring the challenge before them in accomplishing President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s mandate to increase production to ensure food security and stabilize prices for the benefit of farmers and fishermen as well as consumers.
He disclosed that food exporting nations like India imposed bans on rice and onion exports while others are stockpiling food supplies in preparation for El Niño. The tighter supply of agricultural products had consequently driven commodity prices higher.
The Department of Science and Technology warned of a brutal El Niño that could affect 65 of the 81 provinces by May 2024, with the possibility of moderate to severe drought, a condition where rainfall is below normal for three consecutive months.
A prolonged dry spell would adversely affect food production, especially of water-dependent rice, the country’s food staple, the secretary said.
The President created the El Niño Task Force wherein the DA is a member. The task force was ordered to mitigate the impact of the weather phenomenon.
Laurel explained the DA has already started to implement initiatives to deal with the adverse effects of the expected drought by strengthening irrigation facilities, adopting alternative rice planting methods that require less water, animal dispersal and providing alternative livelihood to farmers and fisherfolk.
