Press Release
March 20, 2007

Farmers are also heroes -- Angara

Re-electionist senatorial candidate Edgardo Angara, a well-known advocate and defender of the agrarian sector, said yesterday that aside from overseas Filipinos workers, farmers who till the countrys agricultural lands must also be considered as heroes.

This came in the heels of reports that the agricultural sector has posted significant gains in the whole of last year, posting a 3.88% growth in 2006 despite the onslaught of typhoons Milenyo, Paeng, Queenie, Seniang, even super-typhoon Reming, within the last four months.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the sector grossed PhP 887.6 billion at current prices, or 8.62% higher than gains in 2005. Except for poultry, all sub-sectors posted ample gains last year, with fishery remaining as the most profitable.

Like overseas Filipino workers, farmers too must be considered as heroes of the country for their contribution to national growth and development, Angara stressed. Hard work as well as dedication has kept the agricultural sector robust in spite of the hurdles it faced during the onslaught of super typhoons. The report also pegged coconut, sugarcane, banana, pineapple and rubber as growth contributors, with corn rising from 2005s negative figures, posting a production increase of 15.78% compared to last years level.

At current prices, the gross value of production of crops reached PhP458.8 billion, pegging an 11.92% increase in 2006. Angara explains that the significant turnarounds are due mainly to improvement in yield, substantive rainfall and water supply, crop shifting, area expansion, sustained usage of hybrid high-quality inbred seeds, and fertilizer subsidies from local government units (LGUs).

As senator of the republic, Angara has supported farmers and the agrarian sector through legislation, such as: the Philippine Agroforestry Act of 2006; the Rural Employment generation Act of 2004; and the Coconut Emergency Measures Act of 2004, to name a few.

Its about time investors recognize the potential of agriculture as an investment destination, Angara said. Our farmers have worked doubly hard to bring the agricultural sector to where it is today. The government, as well as the public, must recognize their efforts alongside the success of OFWs in advancing economic growth, Angara concludes.

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