Agriculture

Anid farmers’ displeasure over his lackluster performance, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. makes a last-ditch effort to be remembered and hopefully retained at DA during the ongoing Cabinet recalibration.  He is strongly pushing for a palay floor price to ensure that farmers aren’t always on the losing end. In a press release Monday, DA said Laurel hopes to release …

A floating solar power plant to be set up in the Laguna lake is being vehemently opposed by fisherfolk and environmental advocates for its “adverse impact on the livelihood of over 8,000 small fisherfolk and coastal residents.” Raphael Lotilla, who was newly reassigned to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (from the Department of Energy), immediately faced this problem …

By Rose de la Cruz Very satisfied with their higher yield from palay they harvested in the previous crop using Bio N biofertilizer and the savings they made from forgoing the use of at least two bags of chemical fertilizer per hectare costing P1,500 to P1,750 per bag, a surge in demand for Bio N biofertilizer is now being felt …

By Rose de la Cruz Last April 10, farmers’ group, Federation of Free Farmers voiced the peasants’ desire for a floor price for palay to save them from “severe drops” in farmgate prices.  It took the government over one month on May 20 to respond that it is studying the idea to ensure protection for the farmers.  FFF chair Leonardo …

BEYOND ELLIPTICAL By Rose Marie de la Cruz Just glancing at the idea of imposing seasonal tariff for rice, I don’t know just how systematically this can be implemented, without opening the floodgates for corruption and other trade malpractices. As it is, EO 62, which was revised in June 2024, including changing its nomenclature, failed in its mission to protect …

The country’s meat imports surged by 25.9 percent (year-on-year) in the first quarter of 2025 due to higher demand for pork and chicken imports, the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) reported. The BAI data released Tuesday showed that total meat imports in the January to March this year rose to 344.59 million kilograms from 273.64 million kg for the same …

Tax-paid local cigarets cost P140 per pack while those smuggled or untaxed are sold at P66.15 per pack, with the P100 per pack difference endangering the profitability and sustainability of homegrown tobacco. Thus, the Philippine Tobacco Institute  asked the government to calibrate the taxes for homegrown tobacco against the smuggled ones and called for tighter enforcement of laws against smuggling …

Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor and Southern Leyte are joining the subsidized rice initiative with an initial combined order of 673,000 (50 kilo) bags and sell these to their constituents for P20/kg. in keeping with the campaign promise of President Marcos in 2022. The National Food Authority (NFA) said that it had shipped 35,000 bags of well-milled rice to Cebu on Monday …

BEYOND ELLIPTICAL By Rose Marie de la Cruz I agree with the observation of IBON Foundation Inc.’s Sonny Africa about the rollout of P20 per kg of rice in the Visayas as just a “temporary fix” for which consumers have to be thankful, but that long term solutions like supporting small farmers are what is needed for food security and improving …

Former Department of Agriculture  Secretary William Dar described the  first quarter growth of only of 1 percent  in agriculture this year as modest.  “It could have been better as the crops sector benefited from favorable weather,”  claimed Dar and other analysts, citing  the agriculture’s growth came from a low base last year due to El Nino. But DA Secretary Francisco …