President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday urged the country’s cooperatives to start consolidating farmers’ groups to boost agricultural productivity and lower food prices.
President Marcos said that the government would support the consolidation process. He said he envisions a movement in which cooperatives across the country, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA), and the government work together.
“This is how I see the role of the cooperative movement today. The cooperative movement is very closely related to agriculture because for the simple reason that we need to consolidate our farmers,” the President said during the National Cooperative Day celebration in Malacañang.
Mr. Marcos said that the Philippines is lagging behind its Southeast Asian neighbors such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam in terms of agricultural production.
“For rice alone, our cost of production is very high and one of the big gest factors there is the labor cost. The labor cost per hectare of rice–of palay–here in the Philippines is double the labor cost per hectare in Vietnam, Thailand, and even Indonesia which is not an exporter,” he said.
The Chief Executive assured the public that the government is ready to provide the needs of the CDA, which will oversee the consolidation process.
As of 2022, there were 20,105 cooperatives in the country, most of which are credit and financial services cooperatives.
Cooperatives play a vital role in supporting the government’s vision of a food-secure nation. They provide farmers with access to loans, training, and other resources. They also help farmers to market their products and get better prices.
The consolidation of farmers’ groups is expected to make cooperatives more efficient and effective. It will also give farmers a stronger voice in the agricultural sector.
