“PH Agriculturists To Blame For Poor PH Agriculture!” – EQJ. What We Have To Do

Here is National Scientist & former UP President & former UPLB Chancellor Emil Q Javier (EQJ) blaming PH agriculturists for the problems of PH Agriculture upon being awarded Doctor of Laws honoris causa during the 112^th Anniversary Celebration of his alma mater (and mine), the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), afternoon of 06 March 2021:
(EQJ image[1] from Twitter)

In plain language, UP Los Baños, we, as individuals and collectively, are part and source of the inadequacies of our agriculture. We must candidly and with full humility accept we (are) part of the problem.

Repeat: EQJ says we are part of the problem!

We have nobody to point to but us in the mirror. In fact, this is the first time we looked into the mirror.

What can we do now? First, test yourself now. Focusing on the lower image: Are you looking at the sunrise or the sunset of PH Agriculture?[2]

I am the Optimist of Oscar Wilde who sees the Doughnut and not the Hole, so I take heart when EQJ says:

The rest of my message this afternoon has to do with what I believe are the urgent reforms UPLB as an institution has to undertake to make our agriculture industry not just more productive and more competitive but more specifically to improve the well-being of the majority of the small producers, i.e., to lift the bottom half.

EQJ then enumerates “six reforms or re-directions (that) the University has to undertake to push our agriculture forward,” and these are:

(1) reinforcing the social sciences in the campus,

(2) elaboration of schemes to consolidate our small farms into more efficient, larger management units,

(3) re-orientation from production, supply-push efforts into demand-, market-driven supply chains plans and programs; active participation in the crafting of industry road maps, and enhancement and diversification of exports,

(4) more efforts in value-adding and food and beverage manufacturing,

(5) managing the trade-offs between farming intensification and care of the environment, and

(6) development and adoption of the new disrupting technologies but biasing them to suit the needs and purposes of small farmers.

The way I look at it:

#1: “Reinforcing the social sciences in the campus” – we must wake up UPLB economists and sociologists ignoring teaching social responsibilities.

#2: “Elaboration of schemes to consolidate our small farms” – “United we stand, divided we fail!”

#3: “Reorientation… to demand-, market-driven supply chains” – we study what the market wants, not only what the farmers want to grow.

#4: “Value-adding and food & beverage manufacturing” – we need to make new food products to sell.

#5: “Trade-offs between farming and caring of the environment” – we have to stop abusing the soil.

#6: “New disrupting technologies to suit the needs of small farmers” – we must make the small beautiful!

I will add only that this is the Modern Age of Knowledge – UPLB scientists can do all those via eye-opening digital media!@517

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[1]https://twitter.com/ipbuplb/status/1046916479113814016

[2]If you want the facts, the sun-hint image was taken by me 18Sept2010 at 06:37:02 hours, or 6 AM.