Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan pushed for a proper mechanism that would define rice profiteering and its impact on farmers and local rice production. Pangilinan sought for such mechanism during a recent public hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food, and Agrarian Reform joint...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to launch a digital platform that will consolidate all critical data across the agriculture sector to ensure data-driven decision-making and management of the country’s food supply chain. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the agency’s...
The government will not extend the 60-day suspension of rice imports, which forms part of an ongoing effort to address challenges faced by farmers, once the deadline expires in October. Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said on Monday, Aug. 11, that the import pause will unlikely be extended given that...
Senator Raffy Tulfo has called for the review of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) as he expressed alarm that the future of the rice farming industry is in danger because of existing policies. In his privileged speech, Tulfo said that while RTL had good intentions and ideas, it failed to fulfill...
Two senators on Monday, August 4 filed a joint Senate resolution seeking to withdraw or terminate the President’s power to increase, reduce, revise or adjust existing rates of import duty on rice. Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros filed Joint Senate Resolution No. 2...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will expand the government’s ₱20-per-kilo rice program to include farmers of the staple beginning next month, expanding access to cheaper rice for one of the country’s poorest sectors. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the government will...
The World Bank considers liberalized rice trade as a boost to the Philippine agriculture sector, even as the Marcos Jr. administration is moving to reinstate the National Food Authority’s (NFA) old regulatory powers. “Strategic shifts are underway to reinvigorate transformation of the...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) will hold on-the-ground consultations with farmers and lawmakers to prepare for the deliberations on the proposed RICE Act, which aims to reinstate the regulatory powers of the National Food Authority (NFA). Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said he has...
The Philippines will see a slight improvement in its rice production in the upcoming marketing year (MY) as the government’s support programs for the sector—including the sale of subsidized rice—are now starting to pay off, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). In a...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to include minimum wage earners in the government’s ongoing ₱20-per-kilo rice program beginning next month, further expanding access to cheaper rice. In a statement, the DA said it has “agreed in principle” with the Department of Labor and...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is hoping that the next crop of lawmakers will prioritize restoring the National Food Authority’s (NFA) regulatory powers—such as the authority to sell rice directly to the public—as a measure to stabilize rice prices and supply. In a press briefing on...
Benhur Abalos (left), Manny Pacquiao (Facebook) Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidates Benhur Abalos and Manny Pacquiao have reiterated their intention to fight for the welfare of Filipino farmers in case they win in...
