MANILA, Philippines – TARGET ng pamahalaan na makamit ang 100% self-sufficiency sa bigas sa loob ng limang taon.
Ito’y matapos aprubahan ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. ang Masagana Rice Industry Development Program (MRIDP).
Binanggit ni Pangulong Marcos ang bagay na ito sa isinagawang Rice Industry Convergence Meeting sa Quezon City, araw ng Miyerkules, Mayo 31.
“This convergence meeting, I think, has given us a good roadmap to follow, but marami pang mangyayari d’yan between now and our goal of having a 97.5-percent self-sufficiency in rice,” ani Pangulong Marcos.
“I don’t think you have to be 100 percent because there’s a… But I think 97.5 I think is a good enough number. We can feel that… Masasabi naman natin na we are able to feed. At least sapat ‘yung ating ani sa bigas,” dagdag na wika nito.
Ipinaliwanag pa ng Pangulo na ang natitirang 2.5% ay para sa ibang kakailanganing niche products.
“You do not have to really go to 100 percent kasi ‘yung three percent iba ‘yung mga niche products, ‘yung mga organic, ‘yung mga special na grain, Japanese rice, ‘yung mga ganun,” ayon pa rin sa Punong Ehekutibo.
“Iyong hindi na natin kailangan i-provide ‘yun. Pero at 97 percent masasabi na natin mapapakain na natin lahat ng ating mga kababayan ng may sapat na bigas and supply,” lahad nito.
Hinikayat naman ni Pangulong Marcos ang lahat ng stakeholders na manatili lamang sa roadmap, na kanyang inilarawan bilang “good plan” na makakaya namang malampasan ng agriculture sector ang anumang magiging hadlang.
Natuwa naman ang Punong Ehekutibo sa isinagawang convergence meeting “to listen to the suggestions, and the presentations that are being given.”
“Ngayon, may plano na tayo. Sundan natin. It’s a good plan…It’s a good roadmap. Let’s follow it. There will be obstacles coming up but that’s what we’re here for, to solve those problems,” aniya pa rin.
Sa nasabi pa ring miting, inilatag ng Pangulo ang mga hakbang na makatutulong sa development ng agriculture sector, itaas ang productivity at iangat ang economic status ng mga magsasaka.
“Among these measures are convergence, establishing more cooperatives, adopting mechanization and new technologies, as well as digitalization,” ayon sa Pangulo sabay pagbibigay-diin sa digitalisasyon at nagpahayag na “Digitalization is the one part that I think, again, that’s the area where I’m hoping we can attract younger people back into the business, into the agricultural sector.”
“Let’s make it as easy for them as possible and make it as attractive as possible for younger people. Digitalization I think is going to be part of that. There are around 2.58 million farmers, out of the 7.46 million farmers enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA), who are engaged in rice cultivation,” ayon sa Pangulo.
Samantala, naghahanda rin aniya ang DA para sa gagawing pagtugon sa El Niño kabilang na ang maagang rice seed distribution, pamamahagi ng drought-tolerant planting materials, promosyon ng crop insurance, at irrigation scheduling.
Ang top five highest rice-producing regions noong 2022 ay ang Central Luzon, 3.62 MMT; Cagayan Valley, 2.93 MMT; Western Visayas, 2.32 MMT; Ilocos Region, 1.96 MMT; at, Bicol Region, 1.33 MMT. Kris Jose
