May 20, 2021 STRUCTURAL reforms are needed to remedy the plight of the country’s agri-fishery sector and reduce poverty among farmers and fishers, economists said during the country’s 2021 Food Security Summit organized by the Department of Agriculture (DA). Dr. V. Bruce Tolentino, current Monetary Board member of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and former DA undersecretary for policy and planning, said reforms must be made on the continued bias against agriculture in government budgetary allocation. “In the short term, it is appropriate to organize programs and activities that provide support to farmers and fishers as the reform process takes place,” Tolentino said in a statement.