SINAG dismayed by PNoy’s SONA
WHY NOTHING ABOUT AGRI?
THE chairman of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) expressed dismay over President Benigno Aquino III’s omission of agricultural concerns in his last State of the Nation Address (SONA) speech last week.
Engr. Rosendo So said he could not but feel that the President did not feel that farmers are important enough to merit any mention about the agriculture sector’s problems in his SONA.
So said he had expected to hear the President express his own concern over the unabated smuggling that seriously affects the farmers, so he wondered if the omission reflected the government’s tolerant posture towards smuggling, or that it imply the low priority given to agriculture.
“The bottom line there is there is no agriculture (in the SONA),” he said. “It appears the Chief Executive has no heart for the farmers,” So added.
Consequently, So said he gave the President a “3” rating out of a high “10,” because “he has no direction to go to and it looks like they want to continue smuggling.”
He said if smuggling goes on, agriculture sector will suffer more setbacks in the years ahead.
Meanwhile, he said the delay in the construction of irrigation facilities also derails agricultural production and the country would not achieve food self-sufficiency.
“I believe he did not mention that because after his term, the country would not be self-sufficient,” he added.
So also bewailed the absence of basic laboratory facilities for agriculture to the disadvantage of farmers. Without the facilities, he said chances for export of local products to the international market continue to be slim while imported goods easily penetrate the local market because these are not monitored.
He said imported agricultural goods entering the country could not be quarantined for lack of laboratory facilities.
He said the opening of ASEAN integration puts the Philippines at a disadvantageous point because of failure to monitor or check the quality of goods entering the country. (Tita Roces)
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