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Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. led the launch of “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!”, the flagship food security program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that delivers rice at only P20 per kilo — a lifeline for vulnerable sectors and a new market opportunity for Filipino farmers. Speaking at the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered stricter market monitoring to ensure that the P43 per kilo maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) on imported rice is enforced—despite the current suspension of rice importation. “Teams from AMAS (the Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service) will visit markets where price increases on imported rice have been reported. […]
The National Food Authority (NFA) started the pilot testing a 1-tonner bagging system for palay, aiming to reduce storage costs, increase warehousing capacity, and improve grain quality preservation. “This is part of our broader effort to upgrade NFA’s storage capacity with minimal cost to the government,” said Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who also chairs […]
Fresh, juicy, and undeniably Filipino is how Philippine mangoes sweetened-up the show at the “Serbisyo Caravan” in Rome, the Italian city once known as Caput Mundi—the capital of the world. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. made a special stop at the mango booth during the World Food Forum events at the United Nations Food […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has officially declared Batanes as an “Organic Farming Practitioner Province,” a designation that is expected to enhance local livelihoods and position the province as a leading agro-tourism destination. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed the administrative order recently formalizing the recognition of Batanes as “organic by default”. Batanes’ 13,208.90 […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr., Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) Administrator Paul Azcona, and SRA Board Member and Farmers’ Representative Dave Sanson met recently to address concerns over the low prices of raw sugar seen during the first sugar bidding in Negros on October 9. Sugar biddings are held weekly throughout the harvest season, typically spanning […]
The Philippines and Brunei Darussalam recently signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) aimed at strengthening cooperation in agriculture and fisheries, marking a renewed push for regional food security, trade, and sustainable development. The agreement, signed between the Philippines’ Department of Agriculture and Brunei’s Ministry of Primary Resources and Tourism at the sidelines of the […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) formally accepted the Senate’s challenge to take the lead on farm-to-market road (FMR) projects—a responsibility long held by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). In remarks delivered during the Senate Committee on Finance hearing for the DA’s proposed 2026 budget, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. declared the […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. led the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) visit to Batanes, one of the northernmost provinces of the Philippines, to roll out critical support for the local farming and fishing communities. The visit marked the official launch of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s flagship food program–“P20 Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!”–in the province, […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the government will extend the ban on rice importation until the end of this year, allow imports only in January 2026, and reimpose the ban in February, to stabilize supply in time for the dry season harvest. Speaking before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture, Tiu Laurel […]