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...
The Philippines is preparing to increase its foreign rice purchases this year as the government moves to stabilize domestic supply and temper price volatility for Filipinos ' main food staple. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the country is ready to scale up shipments from its...
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...
