Poor agricultural growth?

Increase our budget –

Piñol
'You cannot squeeze milk from a thin and hungry cow!' says Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel
Piñol

GROWTH. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol appeals for a higher budget for his agency. Photo by
Darren Langit/Rappler

MANILA, Philippines – After economic managers pointed out the poor agricultural
output as one of the major forces that dragged down the country's growth, Agriculture
Secretary Emmanuel Piñol defended his agency and asserted that his sector would "not
be made a whipping boy."

"You cannot squeeze milk from a thin and hungry cow!" Piñol said in a Facebook post
on Monday, August 13.

The country's gross domestic product (GDP) grew by only 6% in the 2nd quarter of
2018, missing market and government estimates.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia said they are "gravely concerned
about the almost stagnant output of the agriculture sector" which clocked in at only
0.07%. The sector's overall growth was at a disappointing 0.2%.

Pernia also hit the Department of Agriculture (DA) over inflation hitting 5.7% in July due
to the lack of cheap rice in the market.

Piñol admitted that the DA indeed missed its growth targets, but pointed out the agency
needs support and not budget cuts.

"I knew it but I never complained even when the budget of the Department of Agriculture
was slashed by about P15 billion from P64 billion in 2016 to the proposed P49 billion in
2019," he said.
The DA was able to spend over 94% of its 2017 budget and previously asked for P123
billion for 2019.

To improve agriculture in the country, Piñol recommended that the government's

infrastructure push extend to arterial and farm-to-market roads.

"While government has poured hundreds of billions of pesos widening the highways and
destroying still usable highways to repave these with concrete, the farm-to-market road
program has received a pittance – P9.5 billion – good only for 900 kilometers," he said.

The agriculture chief also asked the government to review cash transfers for poor
families. He said it would be better to provide livelihood assistance instead of directly
giving out cash.

Despite the criticism against him, Piñol said the economic managers' words have given
him "the best arguments" to assert that agriculture should be given its "fair share of
attention" and budget. – Rappler.com
Filed under:Department of AgriculturePhilippine agriculture growthEmmanuel Piñol
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Piñol sacks NAIA

quarantine team
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol cites inadequate measures at the NAIA to
prevent the entry of swine fever into the country

AGRICULTURE CHIEF. Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol sacks the quarantine team at the Ninoy
Aquino International Airport for failing to implement his order due to logistical constraints. Photo by Darren
Langit/Rappler

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said on Friday,

January 4, that he will relieve the entire personnel of the Department of Agriculture's
Quarantine Group at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for defying his order
on the implementation of quarantine procedures against African Swine Fever (ASF).

Piñol said his directive would be effective 5 pm on Friday.

“I will issue the order today,” he said in a Facebook post.

Piñol, who was in the Bicol region to check on the situation of the agriculture sector
following Tropical Depression Usman, said the "relief of the whole Quarantine Team at
the NAIA should send a clear message to members of the Department of Agriculture
(DA) family that we cannot take Administrative Directives for granted.”

He said aside from relieving the entire Quarantine Group personnel, there will be an
investigation to determine if there was any ground to charge them of dereliction of duty.

Piñol had earlier ordered a ban on the entry of pork and pork-based products from 8
countries to prevent the spread of swine fever in Philippine piggeries.

The agriculture chief said when the outbreak was monitored as early as last year, the
DA immediately established a plan of action to prevent the entry of the disease into the
country.

“Shortly before the holidays, I ordered Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) Acting Director
Ronnie Domingo to ensure that footbaths and other Quarantine measures are
established in all entry points of the country as the dreaded ASF, a disease killing pigs
in at least 8 countries, was reported spreading in China,” he said.

He said the directive was for all quarantine stations “to establish Footbaths in all entry
points of the country, the interception and confiscation of all pork-based products,”

Piñol said the lack of footbaths at NAIA came to his attention after reports quoting
agriculture advocate Rosendo So. When he verified it with Domingo, the latter cited
"procurement issues" as reason for this.

“Upon reading the report, I immediately called up Dr Domingo and confronted him about
it. Dr Domingo admitted that the NAIA Quarantine Group failed to establish the Footbath
facility 'because of procurement issues' and it was the only station which failed to
implement the directives,” he said.

Piñol said he did not buy the alibi because the Quarantine Group there could have
found ways.

Piñol apologized “to the stakeholders of the hog industry for this administrative lapse.”

“While I have issued the needed directives to implement the Quarantine Procedures, I
have to admit that there are still weak links in the Department which need to be
corrected,” he added.
African Swine Fever, caused by virus, is a highly-contagious swine disease that had
alreadycaused heavy losses among swine farmers in other countries.

In one China farm, more than 8,000 pigs were reported infected and over half had died.

The disease is difficult to detect unless in its advance stage. – Rappler.com

Bicol farmers affected by

Usman to get soft loans,
aid
At least 28,714 farmers and 30,900.07 hectares in Bicol were affected by Usman and
the tail end of the cold front

DESTROYED. This riceland in Albay has turned into a lake for several days due to flooding brought by
Tropical Depression Usman and the Tail End of the Cold Front in December 2018. Photo by Rhaydz
Barcia/Rappler

ALBAY, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) will be providing soft loans of
at least P25,000 and aid of P5,000 to each farmer in the Bicol region whose crops were
destroyed by flooding and landslides caused by Tropical Depression Usman and the tail
end of the cold front (TECF).

During his visit here, in the town of Libon, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said
the assistance to farmers will be taken from the P3.7 billion Survival and Recovery
Assistance Program or SURE allocated in 2019 for farmers affected by various
calamities.

At least 28,714 farmers and 30,900.07 hectares in Bicol were affected by Usman and
the TECF, with a total loss production of 16,331.93 metric tons, valued at
P596,372,903.77.

The DA will also provide free palay and vegetable seedlings to farmers to replace those
destroyed by massive floods and landslides across the region.
Piñol spoke with farmers a forum at the Libon town gymnasium. He turned over P3.2
million worth of farm materials and agriculture machinery to 1,000 members of
organized farmers groups.

Emelia Bordado, DA spokesperson, said the highest loss was in rice production with
P514,464,017.24 in damage, followed by high-value crops with P40,163,727.59
damage, and corn with P27,590,948.95 initial damage.

Among the 6 provinces, Camarines Sur was worst hit, with 14,674.84 hectares of
riceland affected, followed by Catanduanes with 3,519.38 hectares, Albay with 3,147.05
hectares, Sorsogon with 1,857.06 hectares, and Masbate with 113.76 hectares.

Of the total, 12,000 hectares were completely destroyed, while 19,000 hectares were
partially destroyed with a chance of recovery, Bordado said.

Lands planted to corn sustained damage worth P27.5 million, followed by fields of high-
value crops with P40 million, livestock with P12.7 million, and fisheries with P871,050
losses.

Bordado said DA personnel continued going around to check on the needs of farmers. –
Rappler.com