Korea willing to fund agri dev’t of idle lands

By BERNIE CAHILES-MAGKILAT

April 26, 2011, 10:48pm

MANILA, Philippines – South Korea has expressed interest in funding an initial 3,000 hectares of idle government lands in four provinces with corn and other crops to increase productivity in the country’s agricultural sector and ensure food security.

Trade and industry undersecretary Cristino L. Panlilio told reporters the project would be coursed through Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

According to Panlilio, there are an estimated 100,000-hectare of idle government agricultural lands but the program would start with an initial 3,000 hectares in the provinces of Isabela, Quirino, Aurora and Misamis Oriental.

“South Korea is offering a multi-industry clustering program on how to harness idle agricultural lands into productive resources,” Panlilio said.

The proposal was initiated by former South Korea Ambassador to the Philippines Choi Joong-Kyung.

“This is meant to increase the productivity of our agricultural sector in the remote areas including fishery and livestock production,” he said.

The program is one way to ensure food security in the country and to help reduce poverty incidence by making the country’s agricultural sector productive.

Panlilio said the government will have to conduct a review of all idle lands where the South Korean project can be implemented.

Three Philippine agencies are going to collaborate with project including DTI, Departments of Agriculture and the Environment and Natural Resources.

Panlilio said that the South Korean government has already invited Korean businesses to tie-up with Filipinos to develop the country’s agricultural sector but they need to present a ‘story line’ of success, thus the need to start with the initial 3,000 hectares in the four identified provinces.

For a 3,000 hectare sugar plantation, Panlilio said, it would require an investment of P270 million.

This project was conceptualized as early as 2009 and an inter-government agency was even created to handle it but it did not take off.

“We have to complete our studies,” he said.