PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. yesterday emphasized the importance of industrializing the agriculture sector to realize his administration’s goal of attaining food sufficiency and food security in the country.
Marcos made the assertion during the inauguration of the world-class, controlled-climate poultry farm in Hagonoy, Davao del Sur, which he hailed as the “way of the future.”
“For the national government, it is important because this is the way forward, this is what we will have to do, to industrialize our agricultural sector so that we are able to provide sufficient food for our people at the price that they can afford,” he said during the launch of the state-of-the art poultry farm.
The President added: “We put a high premium on investments in agriculture. And this is the key to combating hunger and poverty and achieving our goal of food sufficiency and security across the country.”
Marcos said the agriculture sector must be industrialized, considering the population density and the current geopolitical situation.
He said the said poultry farm shows to local and foreign investors that the Philippines is ready for any initiatives that “are advantageous to the food supply.”
“We can adapt here and adjust it to the Philippine conditions,” Marcos said. “The most important part is that people realize that this is the way forward. We can no longer depend on the informal production of food in the way that we have depended on for a very, very long time.”
The poultry farm is envisioned to house 80 million birds, or about 200 million kilos in live weight per farm to be harvested annually.
The state-of-the-art poultry farm has advanced facilities and technologies, featuring environmental controls, biosecurity measures, modernized feeding and watering systems, efficient waste management, and a modern farm layout and house design.
Marcos said the facility is also expected to provide jobs to over 1,000 Filipinos, as well as open multiple opportunities for local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), farmers, and other sectors in Hagonoy town and nearby areas.
“Once realized, this will ensure a more stable, sufficient and cost competitive supply of chicken, as well as bolster the food and nutritional needs of our people,” he said. (PNA)/PN
