Congressional think tank pushes for review of agri production systems

The Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) asked the national government to review the agricultural production system amid the country’s growing dependence on imports, which risks food security and climate change and geopolitical tensions.

“Given the increasing dependence on imports to meet local food requirements, it is important to review and revisit the agricultural production system particularly in light of increasing risks beyond our control, such as the impact of climate change and ongoing geopolitical tensions,” its November report  was quoted by the Philippine Star.

“The country is highly vulnerable to the impact of geopolitical tensions,” it added.

The Philippines heavily relies on imported rice to meet domestic consumer demand, the CPBRD said, adding that local production of pork, chicken, and round scad (galunggong) remain insufficient in covering the food requirement of Filipinos.

As of Nov. 14, Philippine rice imports have amounted to 4.06 million metric tons (MMT), surpassing the 3.61 MMT reported for the full year of 2023, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry.

The US Department of Agriculture, in November, said the Philippines is projected to import about 5.1 MMT in 2025.

The state should look at regulating food importation by improving the reliability of its agricultural databases, helping push for “evidence-based policy making” for importation decisions. 

“There is a need to foster dialogue among users and generators of statistics on the supply and demand for commodities which are vital for determining the volume of imports,” the think tank said.

Moreover, the think tank raised the need for a “strong institution” to facilitate more investments into the agriculture sector, which could help spur agricultural development and improve domestic food production.

The CPBRD recommended a genuine organizational review of the DA, including related functions in other agencies, to identify areas for improvement and facilitate the crafting of appropriate strategies.

Addressing institutional “bottlenecks” could also help address food smuggling, which undermines agricultural production. “As farmers would have difficulty competing with smuggled commodities due to their relatively lower prices, it will eventually reduce local production,” the report stated.

The state should also promote collective farming to help streamline government support services to Filipino farmers.

“Conversion of rice land to other uses, backward rice farming, deteriorating irrigation systems, and lack of farm credit and even faulty government policies have been identified as the reasons for low rice production, thus, high importation,” the CPBRD said.