Agriculture

By Rose de la Cruz Imported frozen meats and fisheries products, just like rice, are being held in the country’s ports for reasons like incomplete documentation; 100 percent inspection for safety reasons, and the failure of importers to show appropriate import clearances for such items. For this the government– through the Bureaus of Customs, the Philippine Ports Authority, and regulatory …

With the population of farmers and fishermen having reach 50 to 60, pretty soon these noble livelihood would soon be gone. This is why the House of Representatives has approved, on third and final reading, House Bill 10840, and forwarded it to the Senate for deliberation and approval. The bill seeks to promote and harness the potential of young farming …

With the lifting of the three-year ban on chicken imports from the United Kingdom by the Department of Agriculture (DA), that country hopes to regain its status as one of the top suppliers of chicken in the Philippine market.  UK chickens were found to be free from the highly pathogenic avian flu influenza. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. in …

The Department of Agriculture is looking at additional funding from international development partners to address critical challenges in the agricultural sector and fill large gaps in farm infrastructure due to the lack of significant investments in the past three decades. Addressing the Manila Overseas Press Club, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA is cognizant of the …

By Rose de la Cruz The optimism of the Department of Agriculture about adequate or no shortage of rice this year is commendable and something worth pondering. Where is the optimism of abundant rice coming from– is it the massive imports or from domestic production? Imagine, DA Assistant Secretary and spokesman Arnel V. de Mesa saying that the expected 400,000 …

Despite bigger import volumes of rice brought about by reduced tariffs, domestic retail prices for the grain have remained high at P50 to P65 per kilogram, market inspections showed. Imported rice that landed the country as of September 5 of nearly 2.9 million metrijc tons at reduced tariff of 15 percent (from 35 percent previously) by virtue of Executive Order …

Around 733 million people all ovrr the world  continue to face hunger. This was the dire warning of Director General Qu Dongyu of the Food and Agriculture Organization at the G20 Agriculture Working Group Ministerial Meeting in Chapada dos Guimaraes, Brazil as he stressed global targets remain “worryingly out of reach.” While notable progress has been made in the Latin …

The  United States Department of Agriculture raised its forecast of corn imports of the Philippines to cope with the requirement of local hog industry and other users. The forecast came after reports of an expected 2.8 percent increase in local corm production from 8.2 million metric tons (MMT) to 8.4 MMT. Likewise, wheat imports of the country next year would …

Despite  the challenges being experienced by the coconut industry, Philippine coconut products continue to top the export market, which makes it more important for a massive coconut replanting program to ensure steady supply of coconut products in the export market. And for this, President Marcos ordered the Philippine Coconut Authority to coordinate closely with the Cooperative Development Authority and consolidate …

The country’s sugar production might suffer a setback if Mt. Kanlaon’s projected eruption materializes and lahar flows from the active volcano. This as the Sugar Regulatory Administration said it is on alert due to possible lahar flows which could threaten sugar plantations near the restive Kanlaon Volcano, Business Mirror reported. The volcano, which recently spewed ash, has been under close …