NATIONAL Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) secretary Arsenio Balisacan cited the need to invest in research and technology to increase agricultural output.
“In other countries, their agriculture is very modern technology-driven. They’re using hybrid [seeds], biotechnology so farmers have bigger income,” Balisacan said in a radio interview yesterday.
Balisacan said that in the past, there was very little investment in developing the country’s agriculture sector.
“We need to invest in appropriate technology and we are not doing that. We have very little investment in research and technology, especially in agriculture, that is why farmers do not have access to modern technology,” he said.
He said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is currently addressing these issues in the agriculture sector.
The President earlier vowed to build infrastructure and improve market linkages to improve farmers’ income.
Meanwhile, Marcos vowed to go after smugglers of agricultural products as he blamed them for the rising cost of food.
“Isa sa mga dahilan ng pagtaas ng presyo ay mga smuggler, mga hoarder, at mga nagmamanipula ng presyo ng produktong agricultural. Hinahabol at ihahabla natin sila,” he said. “Pandaraya ang kanilang ginagawa. Napapahamak hindi lang ang mga magsasaka kundi tayo rin mga mamimili. Kaya hindi natin papayagan ang ganitong kalakaran.”
He added: “Bilang na ang mga araw ng mga smuggler at hoarder na ‘yan.”
Earlier this month, Marcos ordered an investigation into the hoarding, smuggling, and price fixing of onions and other agricultural products, calling such acts “economic sabotage.” (PNA/with a report from ABS-CBN News)/PN
