HINIMOK ni Sen. Cynthia Villar na magtulungan at suportahan ang food at beverage industry ng bansa.
Sa opening ceremony ng 17th Manila Food and Beverage Expo 2023 sa World Trade Center, Pasay City, nanawagan din siya na suportahan ang agricultural sector upang higit na isulong ang ating mga lokal na produkto.
Sa ngayon, naging highly diversified ang ating food at beverage industry na saklaw na ang manufacturing practices.
Kanilang dito ang small-scale, traditional, family-run operations na highly labor-intensive hanggang large-scale, capital-intensive enterprises na gumagamit ng advanced mechanized industrial processes.
“Numerous food industries rely on local agriculture, produce, or fishing, while others rely on imports to meet their production needs,” pahayag ng Chairperson ng Senate Agriculture and Food Committee.
Nag-operate bilang complex network na konektado sa mga magsasaka na may iba’t ibang industriya ang ating food system.
“This network covers not only the farmers themselves but also extends to include manufacturers of farm equipment and chemicals, as well as firms that provide services to agribusinesses, such as logistics and financial services.”
“The food system incorporates the food marketing industries responsible for bridging the gap between farms and consumers,” dagdag pa ng senador.
Kabilang sa mga industriyang ito ang food at fiber processors, wholesalers, retailers, at food service establishments.
Ayon sa mambabatas, tinagubilinan tayo ng COVID-19 pandemic na mahalaga ang suporta sa agricultural sector dahil sa importanteng papel ng magsasaka sa panahon ng krisis.
“Since the reopening of the economy in 2022, the food and beverage industry has been gradually recovering. In fact, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported that business registrations hit a 10-year-high in 2022, with restaurants and mobile food services activities coming in as the second-highest number of new business registrations last year,” ayon pa sa senador.
“As the industry is one of the pillars of the economy, a lot of sectors are coming out to support business owners engaged in food service,” aniya.
Tiniyak niya na laging nakasuporta ang pamahalaan sa food at beverage industry pati na rin ang agricultural sector.
Sa kabila nito, nananatili ang mga magsasaka sa pinakamahirap na sektor.
“That is why I made it my goal to uplift the lives of the farmers, address the needs of our agricultural sector and promote food security in every legislation I write,” ayon sa senador.
