Business NEWS

The Philippine agriculture sector has been most neglected under the Duterte Administration, with stakeholders mostly bearing the brunt of the government’s pro-importation policy, a group alleged.

A group of farmers has threatened not to support re-electionist senators if they will not junk the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a mega trade deal.

The Philippine government was told to temporarily suspend the importation of chicken and other poultry products amid several outbreaks of severe bird flu in Asia and Europe.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is coming up with ways on how to help rice farmers cope with the rising cost of fertilizer in the Philippines – one of which is to possibly encourage farmers’ cooperatives to import fertilizers directly.

The government was urged to prioritize the production of local food instead of relying more on importation amid staggering global food insecurity.

Huge volume in rice importation has failed to bring down the retail price of rice in the markets over the last years, based on the observation by agriculture lobby group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag).

Pork prices at select markets in Metro Manila have remained high despite the surge in imports recorded during the first half of 2020, prompting one of the country’s largest agriculture lobby groups to call out the Department of Agriculture (DA) anew for its pro-importation stance.

Two big farmers’ groups have sought the intervention of the Senate regarding the recently issued Executive Order (EO) 135, which temporarily reduced the import tariff rates for rice coming from non-ASEAN countries.

The Philippines is now under a state of calamity for a period of one year due to African Swine Fever (ASF), but the government’s Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said recovery of the local hog sector is expected to happen in 2023 yet.

Malacañang has put the entire Philippines under a state of calamity amid the prevalence of African Swine Fever (ASF) nearly two months after the Senate proposed the move, a decision considered “a moral victory for local hog industry”.

After weeks of disagreement on pork imports, the Senate and the President’s economic team, led by Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, decided to lower the import tariff cut proposed under Executive Order (EO) 128 and adjust the volume of pork imports allowed to enter the Philippines under minimum access volume (MAV).

 The government’s failure to stop smuggled pork imports has put the country at more risk of contracting new variants of African Swine Fever (ASF) that began to cause further damage in China, the world’s largest pork-producing country.           

Consumers are urged to keep on patronizing local pork amid the issuance of Executive Order (EO) 128, which will bring down the tariff on pork imports and will pave the way for the entry of more imported pork into the Philippines. 

The Philippine government will no longer extend the price ceiling on pork and chicken in Metro Manila, but will impose a price cap or suggested retail price (SRP) on imported pork only starting Friday, April 9.

Several agriculture lobby groups jointly appealed for President Rodrigo Duterte to withdraw his recommendation to increase the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) for pork by 350,000 metric tons (MT) as this may cause further damage to the local hog industry.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s recommendation to increase the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) for pork by 350,000 metric tons (MT) will result in losses on the part of consumers and local hog raisers, a group said. 

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) wrote to Tariff Commission Chairperson Marilou Mendoza to raise the tariff on HS 0203 meat of swine (fresh, chilled, or frozen) to 44 percent.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has been strongly urged to withdraw its proposal to reduce the tariff on pork imports as well as increase the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) allocation while the investigation on alleged “tongpats” is ongoing.