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The government is stepping into the onion fields again, this time before prices unravel. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered state-run Food Terminals Inc. (FTI) to begin buying onions, aiming to prevent a farmgate price collapse as harvest season barrels toward its peak. A team has already been dispatched to Nueva Ecija, the […]
Abra lone district Rep. JB Bernos hailed the creation by the Department of Agriculture of an office dedicated to providing support to the coffee industry. “The creation of the Coffee Industry Development Office is a welcome move that will hopefully lead to the development of the coffee industry. Our coffee farmers in Abra could definitely […]
The Marcos administration’s flagship food program Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! has moved deeper into communities, with the Department of Agriculture (DA) launching its first barangay-level rollout in Barangay Matina Crossing in Davao City, marking a significant push to widen access to affordable rice. Assistant Secretary for Agribusiness, Marketing and Consumer Affairs Genevieve Velicaria-Guevarra led the […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered the creation of a dedicated Coffee Industry Development Office (CIDO), signaling a major shift in how the government manages the struggling sector. Under the Department Order No. 06, the new office will sit under the Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Undersecretary for Special Concerns and Official […]
The Department of Agriculture and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have sealed a JPY1.7-billion grant agreement to build a modern rice processing system in Isabela, a move aimed at sharpening the buffer stocking capability of the National Food Authority in one of the country’s most productive rice belts. The facility will rise in Cauayan City, […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Tourism (DoT) signed a wide-ranging memorandum of agreement aimed at transforming farm tourism and tightening the link between food production and the country’s expanding travel industry. Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. formalized the partnership committing their agencies to align […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is ramping up the expansion of the “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na!” program across the National Capital Region, deepening the Marcos administration’s push to make affordable rice widely accessible, especially to vulnerable sectors. A flagship food program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the project offers quality rice at P20 per kilo, […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered the creation of a technical working group (TWG) on rice importation, signaling a more data-driven and strategically managed approach to balancing supply, prices, and farmer protection as the country heads into another critical cycle for its staple grain. The move comes as the Department of Agriculture (DA) races […]
The Philippines closed 2025 with a significantly narrower agricultural trade deficit in December, as a surge in farm exports—led by tropical fruits—combined with softer imports to ease pressure on the country’s external accounts. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. welcomed the improvement, framing it as early proof that the Department of Agriculture’s export diversification strategy […]
Tawi-Tawi Governor Yshmael Sali welcomed the expanded the rollout of the Department of Agriculture (DA)’s “Benteng Bigas, Meron Na” — the flagship food program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reinforcing the national government’s drive to deliver affordable rice and strengthen food security in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas. A province long recognized as a cradle […]