FLATTENED Heavy rains and winds in the last week of January flattened rice fields in 14 villages of Tulunan, Cotabato, causing farmers to incur losses worth at least P143 million, as shown in this photo taken in one of the fields on Thursday. —WILLIAMOR A. MAGBANUA
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday gave a grave description of the overall state of agriculture in the country and what he intends to do about it.
The Chief Executive currently serves as the Department of Agriculture (DA) secretary.
He reported 11 to 13 million hectares of land across the nation are considered degraded.
He also said 2.2 million hectares of soil are infertile.
“Making matters worse is the improper use of fertilizers and pesticides that pollute and acidify our soil,” he observed.
He made these statements as he spoke at the First National Soil Health Summit at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.
“Needless to say, our soil is under threat, and to continue to neglect this vital agricultural component will lead to an even worse crisis in the future,” Bongbong Marcos warned.
The President is proposing a 5-point agenda on soil and water management.
This includes the National Soil Health Program and the implementation of sustainable land management.
“This will ensure the proper use and management of soil resources, address land degradation, enhance crop productivity, and, hence, improve farmers’ income,” Marcos said.
Then, he announced, “the administration shall empower the Bureau of Soil and Water Management to achieve these goals, especially through capacitating soil laboratories across the country to yield better data.”
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