COMBINING THE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD INDUSTRIES FUNCTIONS

COMBINING THE AGRICULTURE AND FOOD INDUSTRIES FUNCTIONS

Traditionally, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) have always been separate. One grows the food, the other helps process and market it. But here is my proposition: why not combine their overlapping functions into one? Why not create a new department—the Department of Agriculture and Food Industries (DAFI)—that would oversee the entire food supply chain, from farm to fork?

Why do I say this? Because agriculture is not just about planting rice or raising hogs. It is an industry—a full-fledged industry. And like all industries, it has a complete supply chain that includes processing, packaging, logistics, warehousing, financing, and marketing. We should stop saying that the Philippines is “an agricultural country,” as if agriculture is primitive and backward. We should start saying we are an industrial country where agriculture is one of our strongest industries.

A Missing Link in Governance

Right now, the DA focuses mainly on production, while the DTI oversees food-related industries such as processing, retail, and export promotion. The problem is that food security is no longer just about growing food—it is also about moving it, storing it, processing it, and even importing it when needed. Splitting these responsibilities across two departments creates gaps, overlaps, and inefficiencies.

Think about it. Farmers may produce a bumper crop, but if there are no cold storage facilities, efficient transport, or processing hubs, much of that harvest goes to waste. On the other hand, trade officials may promote food exports, but if they are not aligned with local farmers’ realities, we risk prioritizing foreign markets over domestic food security. A unified department could solve these disconnects.

Global Models

This is not a far-fetched idea. Other countries have already gone down this path:

  • Brazil has the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA), which oversees farming, livestock, food safety, and exports under one roof. No silos, no turf wars.

  • Singapore created the Singapore Food Agency, which regulates everything from urban farming to food imports and safety standards. For a land-scarce country, it is a matter of survival.

  • The Netherlands runs the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, which integrates agriculture, food industries, and environmental sustainability.

  • India still has separate ministries, but they collaborate on mega-schemes like the Integrated Cold Chain program, linking farm output directly to processing hubs.

These examples show that combining agriculture and food industries is not only possible—it is often more effective.

The Case for DAFI

So what would a Department of Agriculture and Food Industries look like? Its mandate could cover:

  1. Production: Strengthening farmers and fisherfolk with modern technologies, irrigation, and mechanization.

  2. Processing: Supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in food processing and packaging.

  3. Logistics & Storage: Expanding cold chain networks, warehouses, and farm-to-market roads.

  4. Food Security: Balancing local production with responsible importation and buffer stock management.

  5. Export Promotion: Branding Philippine agri-food products globally without compromising local supply.

The demarcation line would be clear: anything that touches the food supply chain belongs to DAFI; everything else stays with DTI.

Why This Matters Now

The pandemic taught us that a strong food system is just as important as a strong health system. Climate change is making food production less predictable. Global conflicts disrupt supply chains. And here at home, we face persistent problems of food wastage, farmer poverty, and price instability.

We cannot afford a fragmented approach anymore. Food security demands end-to-end oversight. And yes, national transformation begins with institutional transformation.

My Suggestion

If we want this idea to gain traction, we could start small. Pilot programs could integrate agriculture and food processing at the regional level, perhaps through “Food Industry Hubs” that link farmers, processors, traders, and exporters. Universities could be tapped for research, LGUs for local support, and cooperatives for operations.

And maybe, just maybe, we could convince Congress to draft a bill creating the Department of Agriculture and Food Industries.

Because food is not just a farm output—it is a national industry. And unless we manage it as such, we will keep stumbling from shortage to surplus, from overpriced imports to wasted local harvests.

So I ask again: why not merge agriculture and food industries into one? If Singapore, Brazil, and others can do it, why can’t we?

Ramon Ike V. Seneres, www.facebook.com/ike.seneres

iseneres@yahoo.com, senseneres.blogspot.com 

01-10-2026

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES?

HOW IS THE CRIME RATE COMPUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES? When we talk about the crime rate in the Philippines, we often assume that the figures we see are accurate reflections of reality. But have we ever paused to ask—how exactly is the crime rate computed? Where does this data come from, and how reliable is it? The computation of the crime rate in the Philippines is officially handled by the Philippine National Police (PNP). The formula itself is straightforward: Crime Rate = (Total Reported Crimes / Total Population) x 100,000 This simple equation gives us the number of crimes per 100,000 people, allowing for fair comparison across regions and time periods. However, the reality behind these numbers is more complex than it appears. Data from the Ground The foundation of our national crime rate is empirical data collected at the grassroots level—from individual police stations scattered across the country. Every reported crime is logged in local police blotters, forming the buil...
Read more

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS

GREY AREAS IN GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS Dear Mr. President: May I ask who is going to be the arbiter or referee whenever there are overlaps in functions between two or more government agencies? I imagine that there would be no problem if these agencies would just cooperate and collaborate with each other, but what if they are unable to settle their differences and they would just end up throwing blame at each other or finger pointing at each other? Allow me to cite some examples. Who is supposed to take the lead in waste to energy projects? Is it supposed to be the DENR that is supposed to handle waste? Or is it supposed to be the DOE that is supposed to handle energy generation? Or is it supposed to be the DILG since it is the one that could direct or influence the waste to energy projects of LGUs? Who is supposed to take the lead in producing and promoting the use of biofuels? Is it supposed to be the DA, since the production of biofuels is supposed to be all about planting biofuel ...
Read more

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES

LOCALIZED FREE AMBULANCE SERVICES As it is supposed to be, anyone in the Philippines should be able to dial 911, and a telephone operator should be able to dispatch fire, rescue, ambulance and police (FRAP) units as soon as possible, based on acceptable response times. I invented the FRAP acronym for easy recall, and I hope it sticks, if there is no other alternative. Unfortunately, due to a mixture of technical and political reasons, the Philippines has not adopted 911 as a national number, because some LGUs would rather use their own three-digit numbers such as 117 and 168. I actually proposed a technical solution to that problem, but it was not adopted either. For whatever it is worth, my solution is to install a call forwarding system that could route all calls to a central operator, regardless of what number is dialed. It is very sad for me to know that up to now, even if our country is already over one hundred years old, there are still many LGUs that do not have fire trucks. it ...
Read more