China Offers Help To PH On Food Production

China Offers Help To PH On Food Production

China Offers Help – China offered to help President Rodrigo Duterte increase the food production for the Philippines during the President’s state visit to China, as said by Agriculture chief Emmanuel Piñol on Monday.

In a report by ABS-CBN, Piñol said that he ‘clearly heard’ that the Chinese President Xi Jinping is willing to support the Philippines in producing more food for its people.

“I heard very clearly during the bilateral talks that President XI Jinping of China emphasized the willingness of the Chinese government to support the efforts of the Philippines government in its efforts to produce more food for the people,” Piñol said as quoted in the report.

The report added that Piñol welcomed the aid and said that it will help minimize the post-harvest losses in agriculture and fisheries.

Piñol said in the report that there is about 40 percent of the Philippines’ total fish catch is lost due to spoilage. This is because of lack of cold storage as well as ice production facilities.

In the agricultural side, there is 16 percent of post-harvest losses suffered by the Philippines.

The Agriculture chief added that he already asked President Duterte for the permission to have preliminary talks with Chinese funding institutions that could help fund farming technology, farm-to-market roads, fish landings, and cold storage facilities.

Meanwhile, on Duterte’s visit to China, he pronounced his cutting ties with long-time ally, the United States, and a new coming tie with China, which allowed the Philippines to have about $24 billion in investment and loan pledges.

But, there is still no clear statements or talks regarding the dispute in the West Philippine Sea wherein the Philippine has won the decision of the Permanent Arbitration Court saying that China has no historical rights over the said region.

China insisted that it won’t honor the decision.