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Fate of cattle ranchers
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Posted on Aug 17 2000
For 22 years now, we have yet to see stable policies that deal with cattle ranchers and commercial farmers. This group of local investors are at the mercy of policies that basically discourage any long-term planning. As such, their investments are transitory at best, unstable at worst.
When viewed from the standpoint of revenue generation, their contributions pale against turning the land into a major resort and golf links. Perhaps this view rides on the commitment to expand the tourism sector. It isn’t a bad idea, but then there are factors that seem to have escaped our minds in the process.
For years, we promote the idea of import substitution. Yet, our land use policy for cattle ranching or commercial farming, is the very culprit that contributes to discouraging our very goal of import substitution.. Essentially, we are long on political rhetoric on this matter, but awfully short when tasked to put them into working policy.
Cattle ranchers spend a good portion of their limited financial resources to build fences and other facilities at the venue. However slow the expansion of their herd, such is the nature of the business that involves expenses (family investment) that pile up into a large expenditure. And cattle ranchers’ investments doesn’t stop with a permit to lease public land. It is a continuing process that goes on beyond two years from initial investment.
Be it cattle or commercial farming, these two sectors also need stable policies in terms of land use. We urge all concerns to converge in order to put stability into these economic ventures however small they may be. Si Yuus Maase`!
