Lawmaker backs PBBM’s thrust for ‘technology-driven’ agri sector
A LAWMAKER has backed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s (PBBM) call to utilize technology to transform the country’s agriculture sector.
“Sinusuportahan natin ang nabanggit ng Pangulo tungkol sa paggamit ng teknolohiya sa agrikultura. Along with other reforms, we need to be able to cascade available technology to the grassroots.
Isa ito sa matagal nang panawagan ng AGRI Party-list, at umaasa tayo na sa administrasyong ito ay makita natin ang pagpapatotoo ng ganitong polisiya,” AGRI Party-list Representative Wilbert T. Lee said.
The President’s remarks followed a recent visit and meeting with officials of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Baños, Laguna, during which he noted the various new technologies the latter have developed.
“It’s up to us now in the Philippine government to make sure those technologies, those products go down to the grassroots,” he added.
The concurrent agriculture chief also cited the need to adopt “supportive policies” to modernize the rice sector as part of a vibrant agri-food industry in the Philippines, according to a press release from Malacañang.
Lee expressed his agreement, saying that the Philippines should follow the example of other countries that have heavily invested in agri-tech and used these to ramp up their agriculture to overcome various disadvantages.
The lawmaker pointed to the experience of countries such as the Netherlands and Israel, which, despite having much smaller agricultural land than the Philippines, can generate a surplus in production.
“To overcome the lack of water for irrigation, Israel developed drip irrigation systems. Meanwhile, the Netherlands, despite having agricultural land that is only around 20 percent of ours, generated agricultural export revenues worth around $111 billion,” Lee said.
“Ano ang lesson dito? Technology and innovative solutions work. We can have exponential growth kung palalawakin natin ang paggamit nito. Magiging Winner Tayong Lahat ‘pag nangyari ito,” said the lawmaker.
