The New Agriculture – The Old Thinking!

Here come the Wait Watchers of Philippine Agriculture calling for “New Administration, New Agriculture” via Ernesto M Ordoñez, businessman columnist of the Inquirer (22 April 2022, “New Administration, New Agriculture,” business.inquirer.net). I say Mr Ordoñez, also AgriwatchChair, is 90% right in his assessment of PH Agriculture under Secretary of Agriculture William Dar. That remaining 10% belongs to Vision.

Mr Ordoñez reports well on the updated National Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization & Industrial Plan (NAFMIP) for 2021-2030 presented for approval by the DA on 18 April 2022. ANN says the proposal was prepared and consolidated by the National Agriculture & Fisheries Council (NAF) – (see Author Not Named, 19 April 2022, “NAF Council Recommends Endorsement Of NAFMIP For Approval Of DA Sec,” PCAF, pcaf.da.gov.ph).

Mr Ordoñez says:

Learning from the agriculture industry’s past performances will help improve the next administration’s governance.

Yes Sir, but the DA must not stop after studying the past PH Agriculture performance. Indeed, this DA did not stop. In fact, even before Mr Dar became Secretary of Agriculture, he already had in mind and in digital media his quite original “The New Thinking For Agriculture” that appeared in his column of 20 June 2019 in The Manila Times (manilatimes.net). Already on PH Agriculture, years before now Mr Dar was already thinking – and doing – ahead of all of us! What did the Bible say again? James 1:22 (NRSV): “But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.”
(“New Agriculture” image from Executive Yuan, English.ey.gov.tw)

Happily, Mr Ordoñez reports on the “guiding stars” of the New Agriculture Plan:

The first is “raising profitability and total incomes.”
The second guiding star is “promoting health and nutrition.”
The third guiding star is “environmental sustainability and resilience.”

If I may mention my own thinking on those 3 topics, I already have translated that Vision into 5 “Happy” issues (see my essay, “’For A Happy Philippines!’ Me Thinking Of PH Presidentiable’s Leadership & Ed Garcia Tinkering With The Qualifications Of BBM As Candidate For President. But First Of All, I Ask: ‘How Do We Make Agriculture Happy?’” 11 Feb 2022, Towards A New Eden, Blogspot.com):

1. Happy Soils
2. Happy Foods
3. Happy Air
4. Happy Environment
5. Happy Economics.

All that via? Organic Agriculture!

Mr Ordoñez then ends his column saying:

Though needing further adjustments, the improved [National Agriculture & Fisheries Modernization & Industrial Plan] should guide the new administration in birthing a new agriculture.

“In birthing a New Agriculture” sounds like the past 3 years with Secretary of Agriculture William Dar has been laboring helplessly with the Old Agriculture!

That is not fair. On 05 August 2019, when PRRD appointed him Secretary, Mr Dar already had “The New Thinking For Agriculture” as I mentioned earlier, with the following 8 supporting pillars/paradigms:

(1) Modernization
(2) Industrialization
(3) Promotion of exports
(4) Consolidation of small- and medium-sized farms
(5) Infrastructure development
(6) Higher budget & investment
(7) Legislative support
(8) Roadmap development.

Mr Dar is a visionary. When Mr Ordoñez calls for a “New Agriculture,” he is 3 years late!@517

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