The Department of Agriculture has revealed that it will push for increased market access during its forthcoming meeting with the Japanese government in the second quarter of this year.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Philippines-Japan Joint Committee on Agriculture is scheduled to hold its first meeting between April and June that aims to create more export opportunities for Filipino farmers and fisherfolk.

“This very first meeting of the joint agriculture committee of the two Asian neighbors here in the Philippines will provide an avenue to follow through the agri-fisheries trade and market access discussions started in Japan,” Laurel said in a statement.

To recall, Laurel accompanied President Marcos at the ASEAN-Japan Summit last December, during which they convened with Japanese officials and businessmen to explore new avenues for exporting Philippine fish and tropical fruits. 

These products include pineapple, bananas, avocado, mangoes, durian, mangosteen, and okra.

Laurel said the upcoming joint agriculture committee meeting in Japan will serve as a follow-up to the discussions held during their December meeting.

He added that the meeting scheduled for the second quarter will provide an opportunity to address technical and project collaborations outlined in the memorandum of cooperation signed in February last year, as well as the MIDORI Cooperation Plan.

Last October, the Philippines along with other ASEAN members endorsed the MIDORI plan, which seeks to foster cooperation projects utilizing Japanese technology and knowledge sharing to establish robust and sustainable agriculture and food systems, ensuring future food security.

In 2022, Japan imported a total $87 billion of agricultural products, the fifth largest in the world that year.