It is already common knowledge that the effects of climate change have already gone global and the number of affected countries and industries continues to pile up in a list that tends to be perpetually longer unless proper actions are made.
The agriculture sector, which is very reliant on weather and water supply among other natural factors in order to thrive, is an industry that is set to greatly benefit or greatly suffer depending on the efforts being made to limit the effects of global warming.
In the Philippines, the current leadership of the Department of Agriculture (DA) has been pointing out time and time again that making the sector sustainable and resilient amid the effects of harsher floods and drought is one of its priorities.
THE GAMEPLAN
When agriculture secretary William Dar took over the agency, he introduced his so-called “new thinking” for agriculture comprised of eight paradigms that are divided into modernization, industrialization, promotion of exports, farm consolidation, roadmap development, infrastructure development, higher budget and investments as well as legislative support.
He cited that such steps can help the country’s farmers and fisherfolks not only to be more efficient and profitable but also well-equipped in facing challenges brought by drastic changes in their accustomed weather patterns.
Dar championed the use of modern technology for all types of crops, including those with export potential in processed or value-added form like coffee, cacao, cassava, tropical fruits and rubber, among others.
The official also pointed out the need to diversify crop production in the Philippines citing that about 80 percent of the country’s farmlands are devoted to only rice, corn and coconut apart from treating farming and fisheries as formal industries.
UNTAPPED POTENTIALS
Dar also highlighted the need for a framework to push for the digitization of farming and agribusiness activities in the country including but not limited to data analytics, artificial intelligence, geo-mapping, drones and the Internet of Things to make them not just mere jargons but effective tools.
However, he said that its introduction to the local agri sector must also involve more of the marginalized farm workers which can also be realized by forming community agriculture management companies.
The DA is also pushing for the development of farm-related infrastructures to improve linkages to the urban, domestic and export markets.
Among the crucial projects that they deem needed for the goal include irrigation facilities outside of rice crops; rainwater harvesting facilities that can also double for flood mitigation and solar-powered irrigation systems apart from the traditional food terminal markets; facilities for post-harvest, handling and packaging; and farm-to-market roads.
VINES AND WIRES
Since farming and fishing activities are generally viewed as rural prospects rather than an industrial force, the sector’s needs for a stable and affordable source of fuel and electricity is often overlooked.
With the said issue in mind, the DA and and the Department of Energy (DOE) recently issued a joint memorandum circular to formulate and implement renewable energy (RE) programs for the sector.
Under the partnership, the use of RE will be promoted in the farmlands and fishing grounds for enhanced productivity, sustainability and environmental protection through public-private partnerships and joint venture agreements.
The agreement will also promote human resource development specializing in RE for the sector through capacity development and deployment of agricultural and biosystems engineers, trained technicians, farmers, fisherfolks and other stakeholders in collaboration with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Commission on Higher Education, Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Education.
The government agencies also expects to come up with projects involving indirect and direct fired biomass furnace, biomass gasifier, biogas plant, bioethanol, biodiesel, biomass torrefaction, biomass carbonization, solar energy, wind energy, hydropower and geothermal energy.
Specific goals also include the development of decentralized biomass gasification systems for rice and corn milling plants; development of small fast-running wind pumps to serve as power drive for irrigation; and the development of small wind turbines for use as either hybrid unit with solar or as stand-alone unit to supply electricity for lighting and water pumping of poultry and livestock farms.
The joint effort will also speed up the development of water wheels in small streams for irrigation; development of off-shore micro wind turbine for fish pens; establishment of solar, wind and biomass powered battery charging stations for energizing farm communities; development of biomass torrefaction and pelleting machines; use of spring hot water or steam from geothermal plants; use of wave energy to produce electricity in coastal fishing areas; and the use of municipal solid wastes to fuel farm machines.
INVOLVING THE NEXT GENERATION
The DA is also aware that its efforts in modernizing the sector and keeping agricultural practices with minimal carbon emissions will all be fruitless without the needed manpower.
Dar said that attracting the youth into farming is also equally important for the sector to become truly sustainable especially that the average age of farmers in the country today ranges from 56 to 60 years old.
Likewise, based on the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Trends in Agricultural Wages Rates 2015- 2017 released in 2018, the average wage rate of agricultural workers in the Philippines was P260.43 in 2017, with those in the Calabarzon receiving the highest wages.
It also revealed the unappealing state of farm work today as the yearly income of Filipino farmers for the period is only pegged at P100,800 which is below the poverty line.
The DA is optimistic that with its push for modernization, the youth will already find farming and fishing as trendy and not tedious with the introduction of technology to ease labor requirements as well as improve payouts.
THE RESULTS SO FAR
Despite DA’s efforts to push the agri sector to new heights; calamities and diseases both for humans and animals have been weighing down the industry which further emphasized the need for more sustainable practices.
In 2019, the PSA said that the Philippines’ agriculture performance was flat at 0.7 percent growth compared to 2018’s 0.6 percent increase due to the combined effects of typhoons as well as the African swine fever (ASF) that punched the hog industry in the guts.
In 2020, the situation worsened as the sector’s performance dropped by 1.2 percent attributed to the joint effects of the Taal Volcano eruption, typhoons, the pandemic and the continuing effects of ASF.
Even with the dismal results, the DA is positive that its current efforts will reap benefits in the long term and targets to achieve a 2.5 percent this year.
Dar said that local government units will play a key role in the implementation of provincial commodity investment plans as well as the establishment of regional disaster risk and climate resilient agriculture offices that will promote sustainable agriculture practices and adaptation and mitigation initiatives.
Though its efforts to arm the Philippine agriculture against the damaging effects of climate change is still a work in progress, the DA is confident that it is already in the right direction to harvest future gains out of it all.
After all, the agriculture and fisheries sector is a good, if not the best industry, to become a barometer of success in implementing sustainability efforts as it needs manpower, animals, technology and nature in order to flourish.