NEDA Press Release, 28 January 2013
MANILA—The National Economic and Development Authority said public-private partnerships (PPPs) for infrastructure and value-chain development will be strengthened this year to sustain growth in the agriculture sector.
“Support from the private sector is seen as a major contributor to the government’s efforts to quickly deliver the needed infrastructure and services in the agricultural and fisheries sector,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said.
Balisacan, who is also NEDA Director-General, noted that a value-chain approach, wherein stakeholders are strategically connected from the production to marketing stages, is central in determining the appropriate mix of interventions necessary in making the sector an entry point for overall inclusive growth.
“For 2013, the sustained development of the agriculture and fisheries sector remains critical to achieve the overarching goal of inclusive growth and poverty reduction particularly in rural areas,” he stressed.
PPP projects, such as irrigation infrastructure, food supply chain, and postharvest services are eyed this year, the Cabinet official said. Production centers for various farm inputs, fish farming infrastructure, and market and trading centers are also considered under the said project schemes.
According to the Socioeconomic Report (SER): 2010-2012 recently released by NEDA, upgrading of rural infrastructure and facilities, enhancements in markets and regulatory competence, and improvement of credit access were undertaken to boost agricultural production and marketing.
The report said that 1,752.7 kilometers of farm-to-market roads have been constructed and rehabilitated/repaired from July 2010 to June 2012. Irrigation facilities that primarily supported crop production were also built and maintained, resulting in a total of 17,564 hectares (ha) of new areas irrigated, 81,468 ha rehabilitated, and 16,043 ha restored.
The SER also reported that the National Irrigation Authority operates and maintains 212 national irrigation systems with a total service area of 783,457 ha and total effective irrigated area of 1,135,650 ha.
To achieve the 4.3-percent to 5.3-percent growth target for the sector this year, the government continues to invest in the construction of strategic rural infrastructures, such as farm-to-market roads, irrigation facilities, postharvest facilities, among others.
The SER also reported that the crop subsector will continue to be a growth driver through improvement of productivity and access to domestic and international markets, expansion in area planted supported by responsive, effective and efficient agricultural services.
The fisheries sector, on the other hand, will aim to adopt a triple strategy of regeneration, protection and sustainable production. Establishment of mariculture parks, nurseries and hatcheries and promotion of coastal resource management will be pursued.
The SER is an assessment of the first two years of the Aquino administration in relation to the targets and strategies set in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP): 2011-2016.
