Agriculture

Beyond Diliman By Rose Marie de la Cruz Since Martial Law, I had been covering the Department of Agriculture and its agencies, including the National Food Authority, and I could say that back then the country went through a most embarrassing rice crisis (with long queues and no stocks), which was in a large part due to mismanagement and patronage …

The Department of Agriculture is pushing for the use of organic fertilizer after decades of massive chemical fertilizer usage has degraded 80 percent of the country’s farm lands, DA Operations Undersecretary Roger Navarro stressed the need to foster awareness  that soil degradation comes from the abused use of inorganic fertilizer. “Our estimate [for soil degradation] is we’re at least already …

The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) asked the government to expedite the approval of the African Swine Fever (ASF) vaccine for commercial use, to ensure a speedy recovery of hog farming. “We hope that the (Food and Drug Administration) approves the vaccine,” SINAG Chairman Rosendo O. So said at a briefing. The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the approval for …

The Department of Agriculture said the drop in the millgate prices of sugar could have been caused by competition from imported artificial sweeteners. Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said the projected drop in sugar production this year due to the effects of El Niño and La Niña led to soaring imports of artificial sweeteners. “Two weeks ago, I …

To  protect local cattle and water buffalo from lumpy skin disease (LSD), the Department of Agriculture stopped the importation of live cattle and buffalo from Japan.  LSD is a viral infection which affects cattle and buffalo and can lead to severe health complications and death. Its symptoms include fever, skin nodules, weight loss, swollen lymph nodes, and fluid accumulation under …

By Rose de la Cruz This story sounds familiar. It was just last year that the National Food Authority went in hot water because it sold its supposedly nearly rotting rice to traders at a very low price of P25 per kg. – for their repacking and sale to the marketplace at current market value. For this, the NFA leadership …

By Rose de la Cruz By now nobody remembers the numerous anomalies perpetrated by the National Food Authority when it monopolized the rice market from 1972 to 2019. Abuses like over-importation and politicizing the staple to towns and cities closest to past administrations was rampant and there was even one incident when a vessel-load of rice was sunk in mid-sea …

Beyond Diliman By Rose Marie de la Cruz It’s not as though Filipinos only eat rice that too much emphasis– funds, attention and policy reforms– is being given to this staple crop. We also eat vegetables, dairy, fish, fruits, salt, onions, garlic, and more other than rice on a daily basis. Yet, little, if any emphasis or focus is given …

With the recent signing by President Marcos of Republic Act 12078, extending the life of RA 11203 or the 2018 Rice Tariffication Law, until 2031, the rice sector would be assured of P30 billion each year for the industry’s development, which is envisioned to stabilize supply and market prices for the grain. The RTL or Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) …

Rizomeph,  a sustainable materials company based  in Cagayan de Oro, converts bamboo fiber into structural materials for constructing houses and buildings, wrote Edg Adrian Eva of Business World “The bamboo grass, with the application of science and technology, is being turned into beams, columns, and panels,” Christopher Ua-o, head of manufacturing at Rizome PH, told reporters during a recent factory …