POSITIBO si Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Bernie F. Cruz na maaaring mabigyang katuparan ang campaign promise ni President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. na maibaba ang presyo ng bigas sa P20 kada kilo.
Matatandaang mraming agriculture expert ang nagtaas ng kilay dito dahil imposible umanong mangyari at kung mangyari man, sa kalaunan ay papatayin nito ang local farmers.
Ngayong nahalal na si Marcos bilang Pangulo ng bansa, maraming Pilipino ang nagpahayag na pinanghahawakan nila ang campaign promise nito, ayon kay Cruz.
Sa isang press briefing nitong Lunes, sinabi ni Cruz na ang P20/kilo rice goal ay nangangailangan ng tama at strategic planning at implementasyon at buong suporta mula sa national government.
Tinukoy ang pag-aaral na kanilang ginawa sa nakalipas, tinalakay ni Cruz ang viability na maibaba ang presyo ng bigas, na aniya ay ‘main staple food’ ng mga Pilipino na tinawag nitong Mega Farm project.
“From the studies we conducted from the mega farms project, we found out that not only the P20-a-kilo-rice achievable, it is also profitable for our agrarian reform beneficiaries,”ayon kay Cruz.
Ani Cruz, proponent ng proyekto, ang plano ay i-consolidate ang maliliit na magsasaka at gawing mega farms na nakalaan para sa mass production of rice.
“Like the block farming, the mega farm is a cluster of contiguous farms that is consolidated to form a sizable plantation capable of producing a large volume of farm products to meet the demands of the buyers,” paliwanag ni Cruz.
“Ideally, the mega farm should be comprised of production core with at least 50 hectares of agrarian reform lands in contiguous areas or proximate with one another,” ayon kay Cruz.
“It is integrated with values of lands tenure security, adoption of modern and mechanized farming practices and farmer entrepreneurship, and holistic support service by the government with local and foreign investors’ participation,” dagdag na pahayag ni Cruz.
Sa oras aniya na magsimula na ang mega farm para sa bigas, signal na ito ng pagpasok ng national government sa pamamagitan ng dependable support system kabilang na ang funding para sa irrigation, farm-to-market roads, potable water supply, warehouses at storage facilities, greenhouses, input at product distribution sources. (CHRISTIAN DALE)
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