TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Philippines (PNA) - Agricultural productivity now faces the challenge of sustainability as farmers themselves have gradually "fallen out of love" on the green fields. This is the observation of Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso Alcala who is lamenting that in practically all areas he had visited in the country, he has found that not many students are interested in agriculture and that only very few farmers want their children to follow in their footsteps. "Lahat ng bayan na pinupuntahan naming (in all the towns we've visited), this is the situation," Alcala said. The agriculture secretary made these observations as he graced the opening of the three-day Bohol Organic Agriculture Summit and 11th Ubi Festival here last Tuesday. In his keynote speech during the opening program at the Bohol Cultural Center, Alcala was amazed to see many hands when he asked the crowd how many farmers were there, but later lamented that barely a quarter of the parents and farmers in the crowd actually want their children to take up agriculture. He said farmers "don't even take pride of being tillers of the land, when, in fact, they produce the food that other professionals eat." On this matter, Alcala sought support from local officials and the agriculture sector in efforts to hone the skills of farmers and fishermen and develop them into entrepreneurs so as to uplift the image of those working in the agriculture sector and making the farming profession attractive to the younger generation.
"Our President (Benigno Simeon Aquino III) gave me an instruction to inform you that his administration is willing to invest in our kababayan. The 2011 budget includes an allocation for the training of farmers," Alcala said. He also announced that he had already endorsed the Implementing Rules and Regulation of the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 which is set for publication soon. He hailed Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto as his co-author in drafting the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 when they passed its bill in Congress and had even cited the governor for having been very enthusiastic about the proposed legislation. The Organic Agriculture Act of 2010 provides for the validation of organic products and its required allocation for the national certifier, Alcala said. He also announced that the Department of Agriculture will make ube(purple yam) part of the master development plan to coincide road maps in different areas of the country.
