EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - National Agricultural and Fishery Council ...

dissemination capabilities. The facilities of the RFUs and BAS provincial
operation center shall be upgraded to cope-up with the requirements of the
NIN.
57. Proposal. Access to timely and accurate information is an endearing
competitive advantage. But it must be done well. To enhance its
response capability, BAS shall:
(a) Expand data collection capability and frequency for commodities up to the
barangay level;
(b) Establish real time response via text messaging of prices in key market
centers;
(c) Conduct annual rural incomes surveys (on-farm, off-farm, and non-farm) in
every region; and
(d) Conduct a survey of provincial patterns of consumption every two years.
58. AFIS. The Agriculture and Fisheries Information Service (AFIS) is
mandated to ensure effective packaging and dissemination of agrifisheries
production and market information. It will have presence down to
the regional level. Packaged information is good if the information is
timely and accurate. The AFIS is only a recipient of information.
Information dissemination should be under LGU through its extension
services, and assisted by ATI. The DA has many activities and
achievements but they are not well-communicated. The plan to convert
the AFIS into a corporate public affairs arm of the DA is a step in the right
direction.
59. NMAP - Rule 40.4. The Department, particularly the AMAS, assisted by
the National Food Authority (NFA) and the National Agribusiness
Corporation (NABCOR) shall draft the design for the National Marketing
Assistance Program (NMAP). The NMAP shall cover the DA's full set of
projects, activities and. services in support of agriculture and fisheries
marketing and post-harvest commerce, including the National Marketing
Umbrella (NMU).
60. Rule 40.5. Upon the completion of consultations and inputs from the
concerned entities, the AMAS shall consolidate the proposed NMAP for
approval by the Secretary on or before October 30, 1998.
61. The NMAP document was submitted to the DA and NABCOR in June
1999. The result of the study was accepted by the DA. However, the
NMAP was not operationalized and budget was not allocated.
62. Proposal: NMAP is an overly ambitious program with little relevance
in a globally competitive market. Its mission should be delegated to
the producer groups and supply chain players. A lot of circumspection
is needed on why the government should be fully immersed in a program
in which the industry groups could do better following the universal
principle of subsidiarity. After all, marketing is the principal task of the
private sector, and not the government’s.
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