Agricultural Climate Change a Energy
It is a fact that the cost of food on the table is necessarily related to energy cost.
I had occasion to attend the energy summit recently. As usual, I relate energy to agriculture. The question raised was : is $100 per barrel, crisis or opportunity? Crisis creates opportunities.
It is a fact that the cost of food on the table is necessarily related to energy cost. For example, onions, my favorite subject, is only produced once a year. To supply domestic requirement, we need to store them from six to eight months. Did you know that you spend P6.00 per kilo of onions for six months storage? Production cost is almost P6.00/ kg. Because of energy cost, onions will have to be sold at P18.00/kg. If the farmers is assured of a reasonable income, P12.00 as production and cold storage cost and P6.00 as income.
All fruits and vegetables have short shelf life. They need energy to extend that life. If you consider that 41% of vegetables are lost due to post harvest losses you can imagine if we are able to save on these losses. Costs will be half of what they are now.
Livestock, once slaughtered, needs energy to extend shelf life. Marketing is lengthened if shelf life is extended. Necessarily, the cost of shelf life extension must be lower.
We can go on and on. And this increase of energy costs impacts on cost of food and agriculture.
But let me go back to the basic rights that government is mandated to provide all of us. Food, shelter, and clothing are the most important. And food is the first provision that must be guaranteed.
How can you now separate the cost of food, climate change and energy? You cannot. But why is agriculture always taking a backseat?
Climate change because of industrialization and progress, is a stark reality that we have to face. Second, disappearing islands because of the melting of the ice caps is now happening. Summer becomes winter. It is a veritable story of climate change that our farmers find difficulty in adjusting their lives. This adds to higher food cost.
Transport of fertilizers, seeds and other inputs add to foodcost. It is a cycle for life - agriculture, climate change and energy.
We hope that our advocacy about the need to put agriculturein its proper place when we talk of energy is understood. As weall know, we have creative means that farmers can do. To me,this means solar, wind, water other renewable sources of energy.
With the $100 a barrel of it comes an opportunity to innovate and create. The $100 bought a crisis that is truly the mother of invention. May we all be creative and help in maximizing use of energy resources in our midst.
BUTIL annual farmers’ day
Soroptimist awarded Congresswoman Leonila Chavez with an award that reads, “For leading women’s group to support Agricultural Competitive Enhancement Fund (ACEF) extension; for working for food security and empowerment of women and girls and for being an inspiration and role model to us all”. Her support for JPEPA strikes a sensitive chord in the heart of our onion farmers. As we have enjoyed the 25 years of the Japanese market, it is our wish that with the approval of JPEPA - our old market for yellow granex onions will experience a renaissance. We need the market that really insured income for our farmers. We have to work closely with government especially the department of agriculture to insure that this market be made a part of JPEPA.
Tribute to Nelia T. Gonzales
Former Assistant Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and still serving as judge to select the most outstanding farmer, Nelia Gonzales is a cut above the rest.
Women volunteers like Nelia comes by once in a century. It was an honor to attend the luncheon and having Nelia as a friend. Pres. Emerlinda Roman led the UP Board of Regents since Nelia is a member of the Board. The luncheon is given by UP and PGH. Nelia is always raising funds for the indigent patients of PGH. What a fitting tribute to an outstanding Filipina. It was a new high that I felt while hearing the accolades and the beautiful music sang by the Dean of the UP College of Music. Give credit where credit is due. Let me share my favorite vignette on gratitude, “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow!”
Update on onions
A lot of people are complaining about the high price of onions which reached up to more than P100.00 per kilo. Why do we onion growers allow this to happen? Well, the management of supply and demand has gone awry with protection for farmers and consumers juxtaposed. We can never be able to perfect the mechanism. But who is perfect in this imperfect world anyway?
We are working it out-both the private sector and the government to improve the whole system. We are a work in progress.
