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Government

DA, DSWD PARTNER FOR ‘BENTENG BIGAS’ PROGRAM

Beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) flagship Walang Gutom Program (WGP) can now purchase rice at just P20 per kilo, following a strategic partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo initiative. The collaboration, dubbed “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na sa WGP,” is a key step in President […]

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Government

DA: E. COLI POSITIVE ONIONS TO BE DESTROYED

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said smuggled onions intercepted at the Mindanao International Container Terminal in early June will be destroyed as recommended by the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) after samples tested positive for Escherichia coli bacteria. The Bureau of Customs, on the request of the DA-Inspectorate and Enforcement office and the BPI, intercepted a […]

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Government

DA TO SET P43/KILO CAP ON IMPORTED RICE

The Department of Agriculture (DA) will push through with the reduction of the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for imported rice starting July 16, lowering the ceiling to P43 per kilo from the current P45, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. The MSRP applies specifically to 5 percent broken, the most commonly consumed variety […]

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Government

P20/KILO RICE NOW AVAILABLE IN BACOOR, CAVITE

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. led officials of the Department of Agriculture in launching the Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! program in Bacoor City, a major expansion of the P20 rice initiative aimed at easing the financial burden of millions of Filipino families. Originally planned for pilot testing in the Visayas this year, the P20 rice project […]

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Government

DA LIFTS NETHERLANDS POULTRY PRODUCTS IMPORT BAN

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds, including poultry products, from The Netherlands. The import ban—which also covered poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs, and semen—was imposed in December after Dutch veterinary authorities confirmed an outbreak of H5 (N untyped) Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) […]

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Government

DA OPENS TISSUE CULTURE LABORATORY IN LOS BAÑOS

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. led the formal inauguration of the Bureau of Plant Industry’s Tissue Culture Laboratory and Biological Control Agent (BioCon) Facility at the Los Baños National Crop Research, Development, and Production Support Center. Construction of the tissue culture facility and the upgrade of the BioCon laboratory in line with the vision […]

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Government

TIU LAUREL: DA TO DELAY IMPORTED RICE PRICE SLASH

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is delaying a plan to lower the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) of imported rice in July, citing growing volatility in global markets sparked by escalating conflict in the Middle East. The DA had previously planned to lower the MSRP of 5 percent […]

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Government

DA CELEBRATES 127TH FOUNDING ANNIVERSARY

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. stressed the importance of unity and collective action in achieving the department’s goals during the celebration of the Department of Agriculture’s 127th founding anniversary. With the theme, “Kaisa ng Magsasaka’t Mangingisda Tungo sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas”, this year’s celebration highlights the vital role of the DA in empowering farmers […]

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Government

DA EXECS STRANDED IN ISRAEL NOW BACK IN PH

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. expressed deep gratitude to the Philippine Embassy in Israel and other government agencies for ensuring the safe return of four Department of Agriculture (DA) officials who were stranded in Israel after renewed tensions with Iran. “We welcome back home the DA delegation led by Assistant Secretary Benjamin Albarece, who […]

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Government

DA EYES TO PLANT 50M COCONUT TREES UNTIL 2026

The Philippines is rapidly scaling up its coconut replanting efforts in a bold attempt—envisioned by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.—to reclaim its historic position as the world’s top coconut producer (Ph is the top coconut exporter, however it is the #2 coconut producer) a title lost to Indonesia nearly 30 years ago. The Philippine Coconut Authority […]