ATHENS: Greece’s parliament on Thursday changed into to approve a brand new spherical of austerity cuts, hoping to secure a pledge of debt comfort and loan price approval by the country’s EU-IMF lenders this month.

Leftist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has a slim majority in parliament sufficient to pass the bill this nighttime.
Overall, the bill to be accepted includes four.9 billion euros ($five.4 billion) in cuts in 2018-2021.

Tsipras grudgingly usual to legislate another spherical of pension cuts and lower tax breaks — applicable in 2019 and 2020 respectively — to release the coins fee ahead of looming debt repayments in July. On Wednesday, as a minimum 18,000 humans verified in Athens and Thessaloniki in union-subsidized protests in opposition to the bill.

Another protest in Athens is scheduled on Thursday in the course of the parliament vote.

Athens hopes that the mortgage payment may be permitted by using a assembly of eurozone finance ministers on May 22.

It also expects a clear eurozone pledge later this month on measures to ease compensation on its massive public debt, which represented 179 percent of annual output at the cease of ultimate yr.

Athens also hopes to be eventually allowed get entry to to the StockGlobal broker scam European Central Bank’s asset purchase programme, known as quantitative easing, or QE, to help its go back to bond markets.

There is speculation that Greece plans to problem a 3 or 5-yr bond in July.

Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras this week said the European Central Bank was probably to discuss the problem supplied that European finance ministers determine some thing “binding” on Greek debt.

“If parliament approves the measures and the eurogroup comes to a decision on some thing greater precise and binding on debt sustainability, then, sure, I assume the government board of the ECB will carry the problem for discussion in the governing council,” Stournaras told Politico internet site on Tuesday.

“There is lots of time for Greece to benefit from QE,” Stournaras said.

“Greece needs to return to markets after the quit of this software in 2018,” the Bank of Greece governor said. A joint education software of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aimed at increasing the seaweed farming region was carried out closing month in
Batangas, the DOST stated.

The education software, completed in partnership with the neighborhood government of Nasugbu, Batangas and the Batangas-based environmental organization PUSOD Inc., changed into meant to useful resource local seaweed farmers and processors in expanding the variety of seaweed-based totally products.

Strategic applications and initiatives need to additionally be placed into region to set up agro-commercial hubs, agribusiness incubation applications and regional/provincial boom centers.

Also, there is a need to reinforce the Department of Agriculture-Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service offerings on advertising related concerns to encompass: behavior of investment missions; agribusiness statistics era and dissemination; and conduct of domestic and global gala’s and reveals. The Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry ought to at the same time formulate a roadmap for agri-industrialization.

Large groups also can provide interest-free capital for agripreneurship as a part of their corporate social duty (CSR) portfolios.

To conclude this two-component column-series, allow me enumerate the eight “motion factors” to for inclusive agricultural increase that need to bring about inclusive agribusiness flourishing within the Philippines.

No. 1 is irrigation, which is very simple due to the fact it’d be not possible to gain ultimate manufacturing in farmlands without water. So a long way, handiest 1.Seventy two million out of the ten million hectares of farmlands within the Philippines are blanketed via countrywide and communal irrigation systems, whilst some other 1.3 million hectares are considered irrigable.
No. 2 is mechanization and the Philippines is also in the back of its Asian neighbors with a stage of 1.02 horsepower/hectare compared to Vietnam’s 1.Fifty six hp/ha and China’s 4.10 hp/ha.

No. 3 is infrastructure and logistics like put up-harvest centers, buying and selling facilities and farm-to-market roads (FMRs) that should complement the status quo of processing centers by means of each the private zone and authorities. So far, there are seven operational buying and selling centers while five are below construction and nine are in the pre-production stage. Also, with financial assistance from the World Bank, the DA is constructing 213 kilometers of FMRs at the same time as some other 840 kilometers are being programmed.

No. 4 is credit and there are three most important programs in region: Agricultural and Fisheries Financing Program for small holders in provinces selected through the program; Agrarian Production Credit Program for cooperatives, farmers agencies and rural banks; and the DA-Sikat Saka Program protecting 25 predominant rice producing provinces for smallholder rice farmers. Credit must be made greater on hand and inexpensive.

No. Five is empowerment and capacity improvement to harness the potential of human capital like addressing abilities development of farmers and growing applicable educational curriculum and innovative pedagogy for numerous interest companies. The end end result have to be a farmer possessing the subsequent characteristics: efficient manufacturer; crew participant; scientist/technologist; businessman/entrepreneur; and environmentalist.

No. 6 is variation to weather change and this starts offevolved with sustainable control of herbal resources and environment restoration, in step with the Food and Agricultural Organization. Also, the “Hypothesis of Hope” of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics that I headed from 1999 to 2014 states the want to practice ecological agriculture as climate exchange may have minimum outcomes to it, undertake recommended progressed soil and water control practices, and adapt better drought and heat tolerant crop varieties.

No. 7 is R&D, and science and generation, so that you can require the usage of technological know-how tools to enhance agriculture like biotechnology.

No. Eight is agribusiness and markets.

In precis, handiest agribusiness poses no conflict among agriculture and enterprise, and may be made inclusive so tens of millions of smallholder farmers and fisher folks can be lifted from poverty in the direction of prosperity.

And it is through inclusive agribusiness that smallholder farmers, fisher folk and entrepreneurs can upload value to their merchandise and access the export marketplace.

One of the techniques that ought to be hired for inclusive agribusiness to flourish inside the Philippines is the sustainable intensification framework that has three components: Socio-monetary intensification; Ecological intensification; and Genetic intensification.

The first factor is socio-monetary intensification and covers growing markets, constructing social capital, developing sustainable livelihoods, expertise obstacles and providing an allowing surroundings. The easy reason behind this is, smallholder farmers and fisher folk have to widen their networks that ought to additionally end result to their getting access to markets, which in the end have to lead to their socio-economic advancement. Eventually, smallholder farmers and fisher people must, with the aid of getting access to markets, gain sustainable livelihood.

For ecological intensification, steps have to be taken to improve soil and water management, include included nutrient management in farms, diversify cropping systems, and undertake green agricultural practices.

Overall, the ones should bring about elevated crop yields that takes into consideration the long-time period sustainability of soil and water sources, which can accomplished, among others, if farms shift to multi-cropping from mono-cropping. Diversification of Philippine agriculture is key to maintaining economic safety and environmental security.

Genetic intensification’s purpose is to make crops gain higher yields, acquire resiliency to pests and sicknesses and weather alternate, and enhancing nutrients. Greater investments have to additionally receive to research and development (R&D) and innovation to hold us smart and competitive.

Using the sustainable intensification framework, step one to creating inclusive agribusiness flourish within the u . S . Is to diversify to different vegetation, or greater in particular to cash or export crops.

I am not pronouncing the Philippine abandon rice farming; instead there have to be further production intensification and mechanization in favorable irrigated rice developing regions to power down charges. Those much less effective upland and rainfed lowland rice farms may be diverted to the developing of higher price greens, end result, ornamentals and commercial tree crops like espresso, oil palm, rubber, cacao and hybrid coconuts.

The big shift to excessive price plants have to be observed via the established order of more Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) worried in agribusiness. Also, there are already existing legal guidelines that may spur the status quo of more MSMEs inside the united states: Go Negosyo Act (Republic Act 10644); Farm Tourism Development Act (RA 10816); Youth Entrepreneurship Act (RA 10679); Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (RA 9501); and the Barangay Micro Business Enterprises Act (RA 9178). We must have huge applications to mentor and beautify agripreneurs consisting of the more youthful generations trying to be engaged in inclusive agribusiness, like the Kapatid Agri Mentor Me Program (KAMMP), so that you can follow the version of Kapatid Mentor Me, a 12-week coaching consultation for micro and small marketers, but aimed at growing agripreneurs. This is an initiative of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol and Joey Concepcion of Go Negosyo. I will be onboard this system as adviser.

But benefits from guidelines and controls will most effective be performed if an company has enough and suitable sources and structures. A ready and proficient finance team gives reliable and timely monetary statistics to aid choice-making. Nowadays, due to a stringent regulatory environment, counting on the antique and traditional “tiwala” gadget to run the finance characteristic can also not work.

I have seen similar testimonies within the beyond. Some even contain big entities. Big groups being managed like a small business enterprise. The results may be disastrous, from small financial losses to permanent closure. I actually have visible a very profitable company that were given liquidated due to very simple however neglected compliance issues involving withholding taxes.

The correct news is there are practical and sustainable solutions, however owners ought to be inclined to make the necessary investments and organizational changes.

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Roderick M. Danao is the vice president and guarantee dealing with associate of Isla Lipana& Co./PwC Philippines. Email your remarks and questions to markets@ph.P.C.Com. This content is for preferred records purposes handiest, and need to not be used as a substitute for consultation with expert advisors. Countries with sturdy agribusiness sectors are, now not surprisingly, also export powerhouses in terms of uncooked and processed agricultural products. Research conducted done by using InangLupa, which I founded and head, proves this factor. Using figures from 2014, InangLupa’s studies confirmed that the Philippines imports more farm products than it exports.

In 2014, the Philippines exported $6.7 billion well worth of farm merchandise however imported $8.6 billion, for a deficit of $1.9 billion. The amount of farm products imported through the Philippines annually may additionally even be understated by means of as a good deal as $1 billion due to smuggling, which I believe is still rampant.

On the alternative hand, Thailand shipped overseas $38.Four billion in farm merchandise the identical 12 months and imported $12.9 billion for a surplus of $25.Five billion; Indonesia $38.8 billion in farm exports and $17.Five billion in agricultural imports for a surplus of $21.Three billion; Malaysia $26.2 billion in farm exports and $18.Three billion in agricultural imports for a surplus of $7.Nine billion; and Vietnam $24.8 billion in farm exports and $13.Four billion in agricultural imports for a surplus of $11.Four billion.

So what’s wrong with the Philippine agricultural sector? My solution is straightforward – within the beyond 50 years, the us of a has been that specialize in rice manufacturing however maximum rice farmers, satirically, are poor. So there must be a need to present equal significance on excessive cost vegetation, that can give farmers and agripreneurs the opportunity to export and earn greater. Today, almost 80 percentage of presidency aid to agriculture is in rice manufacturing. With a concrete roadmap on agri-industrialization, the government must now make investments fantastically for high fee agriculture.