Have you ever asked yourself why it is important to support farming or the agricultural sector as a whole? In this age of technology, have you ever told your child about farming? Or where does the food he eats came from?
By definition, farming is the process of working the ground, planting seeds, and growing fruits, vegetables, and edible plants. You can also identify raising animals for milk or meat as farming. Interestingly, farming is also the term used to describe the work of people whose jobs are in or related to the agricultural sector.
In 2018, the share of agriculture in the Philippines’ gross domestic product or GDP was 9.28 percent, while the industry and services sector contributed approximately 30.75 percent and 59.97 percent, respectively. What do you get from these statistics? Well, it only shows that agriculture is one of the main sources of national income of the Philippines.
Aside from the contribution of agriculture to the country’s national revenue, there are a number of reasons why it is important to the development and sustainability of a country and its economy.
First, agriculture is a source of livelihood. Many people depend on farming and on the production of essential food crops to earn a living. Imagine the percentage of farmers and other people involved in activities related to forestry, dairy, fruit cultivation, poultry, etc. Not to mention their families. The numbers will surely give you enough reason to consider agriculture as one of the most important sectors of an economy.
Another important role of agriculture is the provision of food supply and the assurance of food security. Stable agriculture means food security. A country doesn’t need to depend on imports or rely on other countries for food if it has a stable agricultural sector if it produces its own crops and staple food to feed the population.
In addition, agriculture is the source of raw materials for major industries. It is also an aid in international trade because the major items for exports usually came from the agricultural sector.
Lastly, agriculture also provides employment opportunities. Aside from the farmers, there are construction projects that support agriculture such as irrigation schemes and drainage systems that provide larger employment opportunities.
Those are just some of the reasons why do we need to give agriculture the importance it deserves. It plays a critical role in every developing country’s and human’s life.