MANILA, Philippines – President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has said he will serve as agriculture secretary, at least temporarily, a signal to some observers of either the difficulty of finding an agriculture chief or the high level of priority the incoming president gives to the sector.
Outgoing Agriculture Secretary William Dar, an Ilocano like Marcos, speaks to Rappler senior reporter Pia Ranada about the challenges awaiting the incoming president in ensuring food security and affordable prices of agricultural goods and modernizing a sector long associated with poverty and hardship.
Dar led the agriculture department under multiple challenges – the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law, African Swine Fever, typhoons that regularly battered crops, and the surge in oil and gasoline prices taking a heavy toll on farmers and their income.
What are his recommendations for the next administration?
Catch the interview at 2 pm on Monday, June 27. – Rappler.com
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