President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. led on Thursday, Oct. 6, the opening of the Agrilink, Foodlink, and Aqualink Trade Fairs at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, one of the longest international trade shows in the agriculture and business sector.
The President said the event, which showcases the local products in the fields of agriculture, fisheries, and animal care, is significant in making the agriculture sector stable.
“It is thus commendable that, in its previous iterations, this event has yielded various innovations and recommended solutions that help make our agriculture sector more robust and more resilient,” he said.
“I recognize your efforts to modernize the way we produce and market our goods, to further empower our farmers and agricultural workers to do better, to work smarter, to yield more, and to have a better living,” he added.
Marcos assured that his administration is working on meeting its targets for the sector and the continuous provision of more opportunities to farmers and fisherfolk.
He also cited assistance provided to the agriculture sector, including Rice Farmers Financial Assistance with disbursements totalling more than P590 million and Fuel Discount Program for Farmers and Fisherfolk at P320 million pesos.
A total of P1.54 billion worth of Quick Response Fund that benefitted more than 17 million farmers and fisherfolk was also released.
He added that they will provide assistance to farmers including free seedlings, fertilizers, machineries, facilities, fingerlings, and animals for their livelihood.
Moreover, Irrigation projects have expanded to provide water to farms, along with the construction of Kadiwa outlets, and establishment of logistic hubs and agri-trading centers. Logistical support is also being strengthened to ship products to consumers quickly.
“[It] is important that we accelerate all our efforts. And occasions such as this are just the highly appropriate times for which we can remind ourselves that what we are doing is not only growing crops, not only expanding fisheries, not only helping our livestock growers, but what we are is feeding a nation,” he said.
“And in feeding a nation, we also provide the stability for that nation, for the Philippines to be able to look forward to the future and say we can progress from here because we have a strong foundation in our agricultural sector. Without a strong agricultural sector that is not possible,” he added.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Spokesperson Christine Evangelista said the department is trying to increase the capacity of farmers to stimulate food production in the country. —Reports from Cleizl Pardilla and Katrina Gracia Consebido-ag