Agriculture

The Department of Agriculture  estimated the toll from supertyphoon Kristine to agriculture and infrastructure at P5.75 billion and counting. The DA latest bulletin said the volume of production losses in Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol Region, Western and Eastern Visayas, Soccsksargen and Caraga Region reached 557,851 metric tons (MT). Broken down, rice …

Following severe tropical storm Kristine and super typhoon Leon  Greenpeace has called on the government to end fossil fuel dependence and to demand payment for loss and damage from those most responsible for the climate crisis. Typhoon Kristine killed at least 150 people and left at least P 6.5 billion in damages to infrastructure and agriculture. It also ran aground …

By Rose de la Cruz What leaders of palay farmers groups have been saying all along– that the reduced tariff on imported rice from 35 to 15 percent did not result in a P1 price cut in the retail market– is now being confirmed by data of the Philippine Statistics Authority since the implementation of EO 62 in August. The …

By Rose de la Cruz For months now, I have been ‘advising’ the Department of Agriculture and the Philippine Statistics Authority not to be over-dreaming their palay production and rice inventory figures, which reality like extreme weather patterns could wipe out in just seconds. So now, the DA is resigned to the reality that production would plunge– much to their …

By Rose de la Cruz Despite efforts to discredit the health benefits of coconut oil,  the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and Japan-based Manryu Co. Ltd. will continue to explore  the use of coconut oil as primary feedstock in the production of sustainable aviation fuel. A memorandum of understanding (MOU)  between the PCA – an attached agency of the Department of …

The country’s milk output for 2024 will hit 32,000 metric tons owing to increasing number of dairy animals, according  to the latest US Department of Agriculture report.. “Production will recover at the level of 32,000 MT [metric tons] in 2024 attributed to the increasing number of dairy animals,” according to USDA  report published by Business Mirror. The USDA also projected …

The Philippines and Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) are looking at establishing a joint genetic bank for rice development in their bid to promote innovation in crop cultivation. A Memorandum of Understanding would be signed between Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Lao PDR Agriculture and Forestry Minister Linkham Douangsavanh next year, Business Mirror reported. “The proposed agreement marks …

Nestle Philippines recently launched initiatives aimed at increasing the adoption of regenerative farming among local smallholder robusta farmers to increase their production and income. Through a partnership with the Department of Agriculture–Agricultural Training Institute (DA-ATI), and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Nestle introduced an online certificate course and a crop calendar tailored for coffee farmers under its Project …

The  Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), an attached agency of the Department of Agriculture (DA), has partnered with regulatory technology firm FMC Research Solutions Inc. to improve the safety and quality of imported agricultural products.  BPI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with FMC Research to initiate a pilot test program that seeks to boost the agency’s quarantine capabilities. “The …

By Rose de la Cruz Although food wastage in the Philippines has sharply dropped to 3 million metric tons based on estimates of the UN Environment Programme report, it is still staggeringly high considering the rising poverty and food inadequacy being experienced by Filipinos. Food wastage could come at the farm level, processing plants, retail outlets and even households through …