By Lane Afable, News Editor
Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan urges the government and the private sector to work together and prepare for a possible food shock due to the rising oil prices that have an impact on agricultural and fisheries production.
Pangilinan noted that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz can affect the supply and cost of farm inputs as much as 30 percent of the world’s urea fertilizer and 40 percent of ammonia, a raw material for fertilizer, pass through the strait.
“We can face this crisis but we have to prepare.
“We will be able to get over this crisis but we have to be ready and that’s why we have this committee hearing.
“The only way we can move forward is if we work together – the government and the private sector,” he said during the hearing of the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform the other day.
Pangilinan said he will also recommend the inclusion of private sector representatives in the recently created Crisis Committee for Food Security composed of himself, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Laurel, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III and Representatives Mark Enverga, Leah Bulut, and Adrian Salceda.
“We have agreed to meet once every two weeks and more meetings if necessary. We have established a war room care of Sec. Kiko Laurel.
“We welcome the private sectors’ proposals, suggestions and, of course, partnership in addressing the challenges of food security and averting or cushioning the impact of a possible food shock on our country,” he added.
