‘MINDA’ AGRI, AQUACULTURE TUTUTUKAN

PALALAKASIN ng Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) ang agriculture at fisheries sectors ng rehiyon sa susunod na limang taon.

Ito ay sa harap ng layunin nito na  agad na makabangon mula sa pagbagal ng ekonomiya dulot ng coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Sa isang statement, sinabi ni MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol na isusulong ng ahensiya ang ilang agriculture at aquaculture projects na pinondohan ng European Union na tutugon sa kahirapan, magpapalakas ng produksiyon at mag-uudyok ng economic recovery.

“MinDA’s interventions will be mainly on value-adding on its major products to create more job opportunities and increase producers’ earnings. Mindanao’s agriculture and fisheries sector was the bright spot in the region’s economy as it showed resilience by posting positive growth, even as the industry and services sectors were badly battered by the Covid-19 pandemic,” wika ni Piñol.

Sa ulat ng Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), sa second quarter ng taon, ang Mindanao agriculture ay lumago lamang ng   0.1 percent, habang ang industry at services sectors ay bumaba ng 6.9 percent at 9.7 percent, ayon sa pagkakasunod.

Sa kabila ng 16.5 percent drop sa Gross Domestic Product (GDP) sa second quarter ng taon  — ang pinakamababa magmula noong 1981 — naniniwala ang MinDA na kaya nitong matagalan ang epekto ng COVID-19 sa ekonomiya.

“While major growth drivers succumbed to COVID-19 pandemic, agricultural sector output for domestic consumption and exports of top Mindanao agricultural products stood strong against the insane waves of adversity, showing Mindanao’s resiliency,” wika ni MinDA Assistant Secretary Romeo Montenegro.

“Regardless of the situation we are confronted with, calamities, disasters, conflict, pandemic, and the likes, we all need food to survive. So if the focus is given to improving Mindanao’s agri sector, which is an inherent strength, towards self-sufficiency, food security, and sustainability, then we become more resilient and can stand better chances of overcoming internal or external shocks and recover faster,” dagdag pa niya.