MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Plan to Expand Oil Palm ‘Beneficial to Farmers’
Plan to Expand Oil Palm ‘Beneficial to Farmers’
04/09/2015 (Sun.Star) - Palm oil industry players have described as baseless the claims of some farmer's groups that the proposed expansion of oil palm plantations in the country is disastrous to the agriculture sector.
The government plans to expand oil palm plantation by 300,000 to one million hectares all over the country.
The Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), a national federation of agricultural workers in the country, said in a statement that the government's plan is disastrous as it will "push farmers deeper into poverty."
But Peter Laviña, a member of the Philippine Palm Oil Development Council Inc. (PPDCI) technical working group, disputed this, "the criticism has no basis because it is clear that due to insufficient and lack of programs, the farmers suffer from poverty."
"But the government's move after the successful 9th National Palm Oil Congress last August 19-20 in General Santos City is beneficial to the farmers," he said.
He said that the government's plan is the solution the industry has been longing.
In a statement, UMA deputy secretary general Ranmil Echanis slammed presidential adviser for Food Security Francisco "Kiko" Pangilinan’s speech during the congress, where Pangilinan said that the key to poverty alleviation is the palm oil production development.
"Agricultural workers employed in the country's oldest palm oil plantations in the Caraga Region suffer hazardous working conditions and very low wages. Even after 30 years of hard toil, many remain as casual workers," Echanis said in a press statement referring to reports from UMA's local affiliate in Agusan del Sur, the Pinagbuklod na Lakas ng Manggagawa sa Plantasyon ng Agusan Plantations, Inc. or Piglas-Mapapi.
The federation opposed the government’s plan of converting idle lands, which is estimated at one million hectares in the country for oil palm plantation.
He said that aggressive expansion of these plantations especially during the past few years led to "massive land grabbing and dislocation of peasant and indigenous peoples' communities."
Meanwhile, the government will add some P50 million budget for palm oil industry for this year, several folds of the previous year’s budget at only P1 million. The budget will be utilized as assistance to farmers, for fertilizers, seedlings and research and development.
"This will be beneficial for our country because at present we are importing a total of 350,000 to 400,000 metric tons (MT) amounting to P35 billion annually. If we have more supply of palm oil, we will not need to import anymore such big amount," he said adding that the country is importing palm oil from neighboring Asean countries, like Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, among others.
At present, the Philippines has a total area of 75,000 hectares planted with palm oil, around 69,000 are in Mindanao, and the rest are in Palawan and Bohol.
The government plans to expand oil palm plantation by 300,000 to one million hectares all over the country.
The Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), a national federation of agricultural workers in the country, said in a statement that the government's plan is disastrous as it will "push farmers deeper into poverty."
But Peter Laviña, a member of the Philippine Palm Oil Development Council Inc. (PPDCI) technical working group, disputed this, "the criticism has no basis because it is clear that due to insufficient and lack of programs, the farmers suffer from poverty."
"But the government's move after the successful 9th National Palm Oil Congress last August 19-20 in General Santos City is beneficial to the farmers," he said.
He said that the government's plan is the solution the industry has been longing.
In a statement, UMA deputy secretary general Ranmil Echanis slammed presidential adviser for Food Security Francisco "Kiko" Pangilinan’s speech during the congress, where Pangilinan said that the key to poverty alleviation is the palm oil production development.
"Agricultural workers employed in the country's oldest palm oil plantations in the Caraga Region suffer hazardous working conditions and very low wages. Even after 30 years of hard toil, many remain as casual workers," Echanis said in a press statement referring to reports from UMA's local affiliate in Agusan del Sur, the Pinagbuklod na Lakas ng Manggagawa sa Plantasyon ng Agusan Plantations, Inc. or Piglas-Mapapi.
The federation opposed the government’s plan of converting idle lands, which is estimated at one million hectares in the country for oil palm plantation.
He said that aggressive expansion of these plantations especially during the past few years led to "massive land grabbing and dislocation of peasant and indigenous peoples' communities."
Meanwhile, the government will add some P50 million budget for palm oil industry for this year, several folds of the previous year’s budget at only P1 million. The budget will be utilized as assistance to farmers, for fertilizers, seedlings and research and development.
"This will be beneficial for our country because at present we are importing a total of 350,000 to 400,000 metric tons (MT) amounting to P35 billion annually. If we have more supply of palm oil, we will not need to import anymore such big amount," he said adding that the country is importing palm oil from neighboring Asean countries, like Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, among others.
At present, the Philippines has a total area of 75,000 hectares planted with palm oil, around 69,000 are in Mindanao, and the rest are in Palawan and Bohol.