Agriculture

By Rose de la Cruz Not too long ago– considering a few decades back– the Philippines was a top exporter of sugar, pineapple, rice (yes, rice), bananas, mangoes, logs, coffee. cacao, fiber and textiles and garments and even steel bars. But now, yes, we still are the leader in importing these same items from the world, esp. from our neighbors …

By Rose de la Cruz Even as the Sugar Regulatory Administration declared, through Sugar Order No. 3 of July 26, that the Philippines is ready to resume exports of raw sugar to the US quota market, the Sugar Council– composed of three sugar planters federations– saw no benefit from exporting sugar to the United States just to fill in the …

By Rose de la Cruz After denying projections of higher rice imports this year, the Philippines must finally admit it had imported more rice in the first five months this year, totalling 2.3 million metric tons based on data released by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. The surge in imports comes alongside a strategic shift in supplier, from Vietnam, the …

By Rose de la Cruz Now that bleeding Lepanto Consolidated Mining Corp. has lost its partner– Gold Fields– for its Far Southeast Gold REsources Inc. (FSGRI) project in Mankayan, Benguet and its uncertainty of obtaining the Free and Prior Informal Consent (FPIC) of the Mankayan Indigenous People to renew its expired Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (in 2015)– what would be …

By Rose de la Cruz Sugar producers under the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc. said there was no need to import sugar this year as inventories are sufficient to last until the start of milling season late this year.  This after the Department of Agriculture bared last week that it is allowing 200,000 metric tons of sugar to be …

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered everyone at the DA Central and field offices to redouble their efforts in restoring the affected enterprises and recover the nation’s losses from the tailend of the world’s most challenging climate disaster, El Nino.  He barked this order last July 1 during the observance of the 36th National Disaster Resilience Month with theme …

The government must prepare for an expected surge in imported rice following the reduction of tariffs from 35 to 15 percent so that it would not result in further decline in rice self-sufficiency amid climate change threats and global geopolitical disruptions, industry stakeholders said.  Danilo V. Fausto, president of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, raised the group’s grave …

By Rose de la Cruz The benefit of reducing tariffs on rice and other food items from 35 to 15 percent until 2028 is not expected by many in the agriculture sector to reduce prices of these items in the local market but would only redound to the importers and their business interests. There is also speculation that the expected …

The government must prepare for an expected surge in imported rice following the reduction of tariffs from 35 to 15 percent so that it would not result in further decline in rice self-sufficiency amid climate change threats and global geopolitical disruptions, industry stakeholders said. Danilo V. Fausto, president of the  Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food,  raised the group’s grave …

By Rose de la Cruz Sugar producers under the Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations Inc. said there was no need to import sugar this year as inventories are sufficient to last until the start of milling season late this year. This after the Department of Agriculture bared last week that it is allowing 200,000 metric tons of sugar to be …