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In a province known as the country’s main producer of rice, the Department of Agriculture is testing the commercial viability of a very different crop: the Australian redclaw crayfish. The DA is hopeful that the high value species can help reshape local aquaculture in Munoz, Nueva Ecija. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel led the ceremonial […]
The Department of Agriculture kicked off the expansion of the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!, the flagship food program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., through local government units, betting that scale, tighter logistics, and steady state procurement can bring affordable rice to vulnerable Filipinos while shoring up farmers’ incomes. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. led […]
A quiet but potentially transformative shift in Philippine agriculture is taking shape in this town named after the nut-producing tree, where a P500-million cold storage facility is nearing completion—an investment officials say could reshape farm incomes, stabilize food supply, and anchor a regional food logistics hub in the Bicol region. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. is strongly backing the construction of a deepwater port in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, describing it as a structural solution to high food prices and long-standing farm-to-market bottlenecks. The proposed P2-billion Abra de Ilog Deep Water Port, to be implemented by the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), is […]
The Department of Agriculture has approved the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s plan to export 100,000 metric tons of raw sugar to the US in an effort to reduce domestic raw sugar supply, which was a result of last crops 130,000 tons increase in local farmer production, and help lift sagging farmgate prices. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu […]
The government will roll out next week a major expansion of Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!, the flagship food program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., as it sharpens its push to tame food prices while boosting farm incomes, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. The next phase will kick off in Lingayen, Pangasinan, with the […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. praised the passage of the proposed 2026 national budget, highlighting its higher allocation for the agriculture sector as a boost for food production, rural development, and long-term food security. President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr signed on Monday the P6.793 Trillion national budget for 2026. “The increased outlay could enhance productivity, […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. promised more aggressive action from the Department of Agriculture (DA) to protect consumers and stabilize markets following the rising food prices driven by holiday demand and lingering supply disruptions that pushed inflation noticeably higher last December. “While rice prices continue to deflate, higher prices driven by holiday demand, weather […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. is zeroing in on one of the most volatile items in the Filipino kitchen: sili. With prices swinging sharply during the rainy season, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing a plan to ramp up production, harden farms against extreme weather, and bring more predictability to supply and prices. […]
Keeping palay prices fair, expanding P20-per-kilo rice and fast-tracking farm-to-market roads will be the toughest test of the Department of Agriculture heading into 2026, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. Tiu Laurel said the priorities are critical to sustaining rice production, keeping food affordable, and improving market access for farmers. “The most urgent challenge […]