SENATOR Cynthia Villar warned of possible food shortage if the agriculture sector will not increase food production in the country.
Villar, who chairs the Senate committee on agriculture, said Thursday, September 26, that while the country has still sufficient food supply, the government must continuously prioritize the agriculture sector, which consists of almost two-thirds of the country's population.
Villar said that according to a data from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO), there is a need to increase the food production by 70 percent to meet the growing population, adding that the world population might increase from seven billion to nine billion in 2050.
"They don't think we can do it, so there will be a food shortage. Kahit na mangyari ito sa ibang bansa, dapat di ito dapat mangyari sa atin. (Even if this will happen in other countries, this should not happen to our country)," Villar said during the Davao Agri Trade Expo (Date) 2019 at the SMX Convention Center Thursday, September 26.
The senator, who authored the Rice Tariffication Law, said the law would help improve the productivity and harvest quality of Filipino farmers, pushing them to be more competitive and meet the demands of the market.
The law took effect in March 2019, which also created the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, with an allocation of P10 billion for the rice industry annually until 2024.
Villar said this will be used to improve mechanization, distribution of high-yield inbred seeds, credit, and extension support and education of rice farmers.
"If our farmers will be able to mechanize and improve the seed they are using, we will be able to double the income of farmers and be more competitive with our neighboring countries such as Vietnam," she said.
The senator said rice farmers using the inbred seedlings coming from the Philippine Rice Research Institute can increase their production from one metric ton per hectare to six metric tons per hectare, which she said can make the country rice self-sufficient.
Villar was one of the guests during the Date 2019, an annual expo organized by the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (DCCCII).
The expo, which ends Saturday, September 28, is a gathering of local and national agricultural experts who can provide best practices, emerging markets, and wide prospects and networks to contribute to Mindanao's agriculture sector.
DCCCII president Arturo Milan said the expo, which is on its 21st year, said there is a need to promote and market the agri-products in Mindanao, which contribute a huge portion of the country's economy.
"We are pushing for its promotion, so that our agri-sector will be active not only for local consumption, but for the export market," Milan said.