Full agricultural modernization needed

MANILA, Philippines -- The country needs top-to-bottom modernization that will not just cover rice farming but also all other farm produce, Senator Loren Legarda said Wednesday.

Legarda was reacting to a proposal from the House of Representatives for the mechanization of rice farming in the Philippines to ensure 100 percent rice sufficiency and end the country’s importation of the staple food.

As chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, Legarda said that “Mechanization is just one aspect of modernizing our agricultural sector, which should include research and development, technology transfer, sustainable irrigation, seedling and fertilizer support, as well as market support,” she said.

The House Committee on Agriculture led by Rep. Braham Mitra had said that he expected the Senate to have a bill similar to the House’s farm mechanization bill.

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