The President’s fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) has reaffirmed the crucial role played by the agricultural sector in his administration’s agenda, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday.
According to Tiu Laurel, the Sona not only highlighted government’s efforts to strengthen food security but also its moves to boost the incomes of millions of farmers and fisherfolk nationwide.
Better markets
‘The President made it clear that agriculture is not just about producing food-it is about creating opportunities for our farmers and fisherfolk to earn more and live better,’ the Department of Agriculture (DA) chief said.
‘I was particularly encouraged that he highlighted our push to expand agricultural exports because better markets mean better incomes for producers,’ he added.
President Marcos said in his Sona on Monday that the country has maintained export competitiveness for indigenous farm products, including ube (purple yam), coconut, bananas and other tropical fruits, while venturing into enoki mushrooms and other viable commodities.
He also reported on several milestones in the farm sector, such as the expansion of ‘Kadiwa ng Pangulo’ outlets to over 800 sites nationwide and increased availability of the P20-per-kilogram rice program, which has benefited more than 12 million Filipinos