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...
The government has formally institutionalized a trade agreement with the United Kingdom (UK) that allows for the continued importation of poultry products from regions certified free of bird flu, a move aimed at stabilizing domestic food supplies while managing biosecurity risks. In a statement on...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) secured a temporary toll fee waiver for trucks transporting agricultural goods, part of the strategic push to lower logistics expenses, stabilize retail food prices, and shield farmers’ earnings from volatile fuel costs. In a statement on Friday, April 17,...
The Philippines has launched a safeguard investigation into rice imports, as authorities move to assess whether a surge in inbound shipments is harming domestic farmers of the country’s primary food staple. In an April 15 notification to the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO), the...
