Press Release
January 18, 2009

Senator Loren Legarda: "Complete the CARP cycle"

Senate Committee on Agriculture Chair Senator Loren Legarda favors a complete assessment of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Senator Legarda said "to achieve real authentic land reform, the government should provide support, budget capital, real farm to market roads, real fertilizers and seeds. We should put teeth in our support".

The Senator said the CARP will be "ineffective if we continue to give land to farmers without support". She also wants to make sure that distributed land reaches target beneficiaries.

The Senator also urged an audit of agricultural expenditures and monitoring of the agricultural fisheries modernization program. Senator Legarda was answering questions from members of the Bacolod media at a press conference after her speech as guest of honor at the annual meeting of the Negros del Norte Planters Association in Victorias City, Negros Occidental.

The Senator told the sugar planters and farmers that stringent measures are needed for the ailing sugar industry. As chair of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, the Senator wants a review of the country's tariff liberalization program for agricultural products, including sugar, in the face of stiff competition spawned by low tariff production.

Senator Legarda also said that sugar planters and farmers should be provided subsidies and that sugar workers should be provided livelihood in the off season.

News Latest News Feed