Philippines: Increased food production, agri modernization key thrusts of new Dept of Agriculture chief

Newly-appointed agriculture secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. today (6 November 2023) said his priority is to increase food production and modernize agriculture, a major pillar of the Philippine economy. He said the marching order of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. is to modernize agriculture so the country could be food secure, less dependent on imports, and lift millions of farmers and fisherfolk out of poverty by the time his term ended. Laurel said he plans to go around the country in the coming weeks to get a better grasp of the actual situation on the ground. Agriculture accounts for about 10 percent of the Philippine economy but employs one in every four Filipinos. Data show that more than 10 million farmers and fisherfolk are poor, and many of them are approaching their senior years, posing a potential food crisis in the next decade. “By modernizing the agriculture sector, we could make it a more profitable venture and attract a younger generation that would ensure the ...