Marcos renews commitment to enhance agricultural productivity

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Wednesday reaffirmed the commitment of his administration to enhance the country's agricultural productivity.

Marcos made the commitment during the 70th founding anniversary of the Federation of Free Farmers. He urged FFF members to stay true to the mission of uplifting all the lives of every Filipino rural worker.

"In line with that collective mission, I wish to reaffirm one of the top priorities of this administration, which is the enhancement of our agricultural productivity, the guarantee of our food supply, the affordability of our food supply, and our lessening dependence on importation," Marcos said.

"This includes pursuing policies that will support and protect the overall welfare of our farmers, our fishers, our manufacturers, and the consuming public. This administration is steering the growth of our fisheries and farming industries with urgency," he added.

Marcos, who sits as Agriculture chief, expressed confidence that with a substantial budget of P85.88 billion for 2023, and a proposed budget of P92.4 billion pesos for 2024, the country could propel the modernization of the agri-fisheries sector.

"Among the many endeavors that we are pursuing is the strengthening of the various associations and cooperatives so that they can provide business and investment opportunities to their beneficiaries," Marcos said.

"This will definitely elevate the standard of living, improve the lives of the farmers and our fishers and that of their families," he added.

The President also said that as of 2023, the Department of Agriculture has allocated P4.73 billion as an investment for the large-scale agriculture and fishery mechanization and modernization.

"You have my assurance that the government is striving to implement efficient mechanization strategies to reduce post-harvest losses and to ensure the optimal yield at an affordable cost," Marcos said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News