The Philippines is expected to benefit from agricultural programs worth up to $35 million from the United States (US) after being identified as one of the priority countries for this year’s Food for Progress (FFPr) program, marking the first time in seven years. In an April 9 notice, the US...
As the Middle East situation remain volatile, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan emphasized the urgent need to strengthen domestic biofertilizer production as a means to address a looming fertilizer shortage and rising costs. Pangilinan made the call following his visit to the AgriSpecialist,...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has formed a new standalone office aimed at boosting the competitiveness of local high-value crops such as bananas and ube in foreign markets amid an increasingly complex global value chain. Under Department Order (DO) No. 12 dated April 8, Agriculture Secretary...
United Sugar Producers’ Federation of the Philippines (UNIFED) has called on the government to implement intervention measures such as cloud seeding to counter the impact of dry conditions on sugar production. UNIFED president Manuel Lamata said Negros Occidental province, which accounts for more...
Murang Kuryente Party-list Rep. Arthur Yap has suggested what he described as a "more intelligent" use of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) amid the economic hardships that the country is going through due to the fuel price crisis. Yap made this pitch during the first marathon hearing of the...
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is pushing for swift passage of measures renationalizing agricultural and fisheries extension services and establishing a relevant bureau to strengthen the country’s food system amid global disruptions. Renationalizing extension services for agricultural and...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is considering the imposition of price ceilings on other agricultural commodities aside from imported rice should retail prices exceed reasonable levels. “If there’s profiteering, yes, we’ll do that,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel told...
The country’s meat imports in the first two months increased by nearly a quarter to more than 290,000 metric tons (MT), as traders looked to strengthen inventories despite sufficient domestic output. The latest data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed that total meat imports from...
The country’s rice imports in the first quarter rose by nearly 37 percent to more than one million metric tons (MT) compared to a year ago, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). The latest BPI data showed that rice imports from January to March reached 1.26 million MT, higher than the...
Rising input costs driven by the conflict in the Middle East may impact the United States’ (US) dominance in shipments of major agricultural products to the Philippines, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). In a report, the USDA identified surging input costs, on the back of...
The Philippines is poised to increase its corn imports to nearly two million metric tons this marketing year as recovering livestock sector and expanding industrial demand outpace local harvests, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. In a report published last week, the USDA...
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. sought to ease concerns over a potential fertilizer shortage as escalating Middle East tensions threaten global trade routes, asserting that the Philippines maintains sufficient domestic stockpiles and alternative sources to mitigate price volatility....
