Senator Risa Hontiveros has called on the Senate to conduct a thorough and immediate investigation into the “sudden and aggressive” rice importation of Planters Products Inc. (PPI), noting that the agency’s latest questionable moves could further hurt the country’s farmers already reeling...
As the national government prepares to stabilize the rice price and supply, the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be there to ensure that everybody will comply. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez, Jr. has expressed full readiness to support the enforcement of the government’s planned...
The Philippines is expanding its agricultural trade with Japan as it looks to bolster market access for local fisheries and promote the modernization of the agriculture sector, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA). Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the agency is now...
Malacañang called Senator Imee Marcos ' claims on imported agricultural products as fake news, saying there is no truth about the alleged importation of vegetable products. "As far as Secretary Tui Laurel Jr. is concerned, yes, it 's fake news," Palace Press Officer and Communications...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is aiming to expand the domestic swine population by one million heads to nearly 10 million this year, as it begins implementing its ₱1.6-billion swine repopulation program aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on pork imports. The DA’s target for the...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is evaluating a restriction on monthly rice import volumes of up to 200,000 metric tons (MT) from June to October to ensure adequate domestic supply without collapsing farmgate prices. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told Manila Bulletin that the...
Another major seed company is East-West Seed Co., one of the largest vegetable seed companies in Southeast Asia, headquartered in Thailand. It maintains a strong focus on tropical varieties such as ampalaya, pechay, tomato, and eggplant. Its products are widely available in garden shops and online,...
The World Bank has approved an $18.85-million grant to strengthen the Philippines’ pandemic response, as the country is considered a global hotspot for emerging infectious and zoonotic diseases. The Washington-based multilateral lender’s board approved last April 29 the investment project...
The country’s raw sugar production in the upcoming marketing year (MY) is expected to decline by as much as 200,000 metric tons (MT) due to the looming impact of a prolonged dry spell brought by El Niño in the latter part of the year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture...
The government should utilize the P30-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to finance interventions that go beyond short-term financial aid to shield farmers from the effects of El Niño and rising global fuel costs, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said. Escudero made the...
Even before the ongoing global food crisis unleashed by the US-Iran war, the BBM Administration had already placed the highest priority on food security. In fact, for the first 14 months of his presidency, President Marcos Jr. personally occupied the position of Secretary of Agriculture. Following...
The World Bank has given its go-ahead to the $24.5-million Technical Assistance for Sustainable Agricultural Transformation (TASAT) program, which will complement the Philippines’ largest-ever single loan from the Washington-based multilateral lender aimed at diversifying the sector and moving...
