IKOT.PH
The Department of Agriculture (DA), led by Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., is stepping up market interventions as palay prices weaken in several major producing provinces, even as the main harvest season draws close to completion. During a consultative meeting with rice industry stakeholders, the DA noted that with about 77 percent of the national […]
A stronger rice harvest is expected in the current dry season, while agriculture officials are also expressing optimism that higher farmgate palay prices will translate into improved planting intentions for the next cropping cycle. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. said the recent recovery in palay prices is restoring confidence among farmers after a period […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is implementing a coordinated, data-informed preparedness plan to help the agriculture sector manage potential dry conditions associated with a possible El Niño later in 2026. The plan builds on lessons from the 2024 dry spell and focuses on readiness, coordination, and timely interventions. At the center of the preparations are […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) signed a landmark agreement with publicly-listed Megawide Construction Corp. to develop integrated agricultural infrastructure projects aimed at boosting farmers’ incomes, reducing post-harvest losses, and strengthening the country’s long-term food security. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) aligns with Republic Act No. 7900 and forms part of the government’s broader push to […]
The Department of Agriculture is stepping up preparations for a looming El Niño episode, warning that a moderate to strong event later this year could hit farm output, sharply undermine farmers’ income, and slow down economic activity. “It is no longer a question whether we will experience another El Niño after the 2024 episode that […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is consolidating oversight of two major World Bank-backed reform programs under a single project management office (PMO), a move aimed at tightening coordination and accelerating delivery as well as raising the stakes for execution across a complex bureaucracy. In a department order signed by Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has secured a temporary toll fee waiver for trucks hauling agricultural goods, part of a broader push to ease logistics costs, stabilize food prices, and protect farmers’ incomes amid rising fuel costs. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the exemption—facilitated by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Toll […]
The Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Credit Policy Council (DA-ACPC) has rolled out a loan payment moratorium for qualified farmers and fisherfolk, as the government steps up efforts to shield rural livelihoods from the ongoing energy crisis and rising production costs. The measure is anchored on Department of Agriculture Administrative Order No. 2, series of […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. struck an optimistic tone on the country’s food security outlook, assuring the public that government measures are keeping rice supply stable despite rising global oil prices and farm input costs. At the same time, Tiu Laurel firmly pushed back against claims raised in recent hearings that imported rice is […]
The Department of Agriculture rolled out the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program in Makati City, bringing subsidized rice to one of the country’s wealthiest urban centers while underscoring a growing reality that even affluent cities are not insulated from economic strain caused by soaring petroleum product prices. Around 750 beneficiaries were served during the ceremonial […]