Friday, November 07, 2008 Carabao days are over, says forum
FARMING using carabao is no longer profitable, said participants of the 18th Consultative Conference of the Regional Association of Development Information Officers (RADIO) 7 yesterday.
With the theme, “Information Officers, Advocates for Food and Energy Sufficiency toward Peace and Security,” RADIO 7 tackled food security and energy conservation.
The beast of burden landed in the limelight as the forum raised the issue that food production in the country is costly because of the old system of using carabao while other countries have long shifted to tractors.
Assistant Secretary Ferdinand Cui of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) said that the government is also serious in returning to organic farming and phase out the chemical-based fertilizers, which are harmful to humans and animals.
Sufficiency
Cui, who represented PMS Director General Cerge Remonde, said that the administration of President Arroyo is determined to achieve 98 percent rice sufficiency by
2010. However, he said, this can only be realized if the people and local government units work together.
Cui said he will raise the possibility of buying tractors for agricultural areas in the country to the higher authorities.
He said the government is serious in eradicating the use of chemical-based fertilizers by 2010.
Other countries, he said, have already shifted to organic farming, noting that there is now high international demand for organic products.
Partnership
To successfully shift to organic farming, Cui said the National Government is forging a partnership with local government units (LGUS).
“We need the local officials because they have critical role to play,” Cui said.
The government has allocated P6 billion for small irrigation projects nationwide, he said.
He said the government is also urging the youth to take agricultural courses instead of those that have been saturated with so many graduates as they might have hard time getting a job.
The government, he said, will subsidize education on agricultural courses through the Kabataan sa Sector ng Agrikultura scholarships program.
“This program would help motivate the young people to study agriculture and help the nation in food production,” Cui said.
Figures
Studies show that the average age in the agricultural workers is high at 52, he said.
“The youth want to take courses with higher compensation. They want to take nursing. But there are 480,000 surplus of local nurses in the country,” Cui said.
He said that while the government cannot force the young people to take agricultural courses, the state will come up with programs such as education subsidy to motivate them.
On energy, Cui said that the more the people will conserve it, the lesser the problem.
“We have to be lesser dependence on imported fuel. That’s why our government is promoting wind power, bio-diesel and solar potable projects”, Cui said. (EOB)
