Thursday, July 16, 2009 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
AGRICULTURE Secretary Arthur Yap is now seeking the approval of the Land Use Act which, among other functions, will buffer the conversion of government-irrigated agricultural lands into plantations for high value cash crops.
In a recent interview, Yap said one of the main concerns of the Department of Agriculture is the shifting of crops out of staple crops.
"With the Land Use Act, the farmers can shift to other crops but they have to pay," Yap said. "The National Irrigation Authority spent money to irrigate these lands for staple crops."
A quick research on the website of the House of Representatives showed that there are at least two House Bills pending before the Committee on Land Use.
The Committee on Land Use, which has the jurisdiction over all matters directly and principally relating to land use issues inclusive of the enhancement of resource use and management of indigenous cultural communities, land valuation regulation, preservation of historical and cultural heritage sites, and public-private partnership as well as linkages among national and local agencies and stakeholders in land resource management.
The two House Bills, HB00064 and HB00971, authored by Rufino Biazon and Riza Hontiveros respectively, discuss the act instituting a national land use policy, providing the implementing mechanisms.
"The Land Use Act should be passed," Yap said.
The food security of the country, especially with the staple rice, remains to be uncertain as local production continues to drop due to the skyrocketing surge of input costs and the shift of farmers to high value cash crops.
"In 2008, we learned that even if you have the money, but if people will not sell, you will still not have the supply," Yap said, referring to the upsurge of rice prices in 2008 due to the shortage of supply in Mindanao. (CPM)
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