MANILA – Barring major weather disturbances, the country is likely to meet farm production targets this year, the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization said yesterday.

Kazuyuki Tsurumi, FAO representative in the Philippines, said that the Department of Agriculture was on track of its four to five percent growth target, noting massive financial and technical intervention to the farm sector.

“So far, the progress is good. The government is allocating money and putting mitigating measures. So long as the weather is good, it will be possible,” Tsurumi said.

Earlier, the Department of Agriculture said it expected farm output to increase by 4 to 5 percent on the back of strong production from rice, corn and fisheries subsectors.

Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala also expects palay and corn production to hit record-breaking figures in 2012, with the success of early planting and third cropping scheme.

Palay and corn account for 15 percent and 5 percent, respectively, of the total crop production in the country.

In January to June, the crops subsector – which makes up 52.04 percent of the total agriculture output – recorded a 1.50 percent output increment as palay and corn production increased by 4.15 percent and 4.81 percent, respectively.

Alcala attributed the strong performance of the crop sector from the front loaded investments in public goods, particularly in irrigation, farm to market roads and post-harvest facilities.

The DA has been allotted the highest budget in history with P61.7 billion for 2012, representing an increase of 61 percent over 2010. Some 62 percent of the 2012 budget is allocated for infrastructure.

Also, the DA has been developing different high yielding rice varieties and cost-reducing technologies so farmers can produce enough rice for all Filipinos.

The agency also allotted some P2.4 billion for next year to boost its farm mechanization program to increase productivity and incomes of marginalized farmers nationwide.

Meanwhile, Alcala also noted that the fisheries subsector continued to improve with the opening of fishing areas – including the sardine grounds off the coast of Zamboanga del Norte and the High Seas Pocket 1.

Kazuyuki said that it would be possible that the Philippines may no longer import rice by next year, but stressed that cooperation among small farming communities and traders must be in place to ensure food security.*PNA

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