Organic farming in RP still in infancy stage
Ramon Peñalosa, a Magsasaka Siyentista of
the Farmers Information and Technology
Services (FITS) Center in Negros Occidental,
shares his farming expertise in yesterday's
20th anniversary of the Western Visayas
Agriculture and Resources Research and
Development Consortium (WEVVARRDEC)
Organic farming in the country is still in its "infancy " as the government's agriculture policies are based on "import-oriented policies." The country has the lowest level of budget for research and development. Globally, the market for organically produced products is estimated to reach 34 billion US dollars.
Ramon Peñalosa, a Magsasaka Siyentista of the Farmers Information and Technology Services (FITS) Center in Negros Occidental, said organic farming in the country is still in the infancy period compared with other countries. It should be nourished and taken cared off as it can also address the country's food security program, he said.
The country has enough raw materials, researchers and research materials. No Filipino should go hungry in his native land, no unproductive soil only a non-productive farmer and there is money in the countryside, said Peñalosa.
Peñalosa who spoke in yesterday's 20th anniversary of the Western Visayas Agriculture and Resources Research and Development Consortium (WESVARRDEC) said the propagation of organic farming have to beat the odds in the industry namely culture, cost and lack of necessary quantity and quality of organically produce hinders the country from taking part in the multi-billion industry.
Peñalosa said there are three stages in convincing the consumers of purchasing organically grown produce. The first party certification is the person producing organically grown products.
The second party is the one producing and using the product and the third party requires a international certification from foreign groups qualified to check on the standards of the products. It is very expensive to get a international certification for an organically-produced products. The certification from an international body costs some P150,000, said Peñalosa.
The organically grown produce from the Philippines could not meet the required quantity and quality of products needed for export. It needs a 40 footer container van to export the Philippine products outside the country. No farmer can produce the same quality and quantity of the products at the same time. The country could not even reach a P50 million industry in organically grown produce though there are agriculture entrepreneurs from Manila and Bacolod who are into the business, said Peñalosa.
Peñalosa lamented that the government's "unfriendly" policy in the agriculture sector affects the opportunity of farmers and entrepreneurs from taking a share in the multi-billion industry. The private sector has to extend support in various programs in the research and development in organically grown produce.
Peñalosa, who owns some 3,000 hectares of farmland in Negros Occidental said what is worst in the country's banking system is commercial and even government banks are imposing commercial interest rates among the borrowing farmers. In foreign countries such as in Korea, the interest rate imposed among borrowing farmers is only 3 percent. The interest rate for the loan of farmers who are into organic farming is only 1 percent. In the Philippines, whether the farmer is into organic farming or not, the banks imposed commercial interest rates.
The import policy of the government is also one of the factors that affects organically grown products. Products imported by the country such as rice, soy, chicken and meat can be produce in the country and should not be exported. The government has to take cognizance in the importance of agriculture sector, ended Peñalosa.