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Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. urged rice farmers in areas served by rice processing systems (RPS) to focus on planting only one to two rice varieties, a move aimed at maximizing operational efficiency. The call comes in response to feedback from local farmers’ cooperatives operating RPS facilities, which emphasized the need to streamline production […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA), under the leadership of Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., has expanded the rollout of the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na!” rice program in the Province of Aklan, reinforcing the national government’s drive to keep rice affordable and accessible to vulnerable Filipino families. Tiu Laurel said the expanded implementation is aligned with […]
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. inspected the recently completed P94.8 million rice processing facility of the Hamtic Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Antique, underscoring the government’s push to modernize agriculture and raise farmer incomes in one of the Visayas’ key rice-producing provinces. The Rice Processing System (RPS), located in Barangay Poblacion […]
The P20 Rice Project para sa Masaganang Bagong Pilipinas was officially launched in Jiabong, Samar.In her message, Governor Sharee Ann Tan shared that the heart of this program is to make quality rice within reach for every household, especially those who feel most burdened by the rising cost of basic goods. Tan emphasized that for […]
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 […]
While the 60-day rice importation ban announced by Malacañang will shield farmers from falling palay prices during harvest season, Senator Kiko Pangilinan lamented that this is insufficient to stop the country’s reliance on imported rice and achieve food security. “Yung 60-day ban is good as a stop gap measure, but it is not enough. Why […]
The maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for imported rice will remain during the two-month suspension of rice imports ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced. The MSRP for 5 percent broken imported rice was reduced to P43 per kilo from P45 on July 16. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. decided […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA), in collaboration with the Provincial Government of Guimaras, officially launched the “Benteng Bigas, Meron na!” program expanding the reach of the affordable rice initiative of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to vulnerable sectors in the island province. A key component of the President’s food security agenda, the program offers rice at […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. led the reopening of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) newly rehabilitated warehouse in Malolos, Bulacan, a crucial step in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s push to intensify palay procurement, uplift farmer incomes, and sustain the P20 per kilo rice program. “This long-overdue upgrade of a 45-year-old facility ensures that our […]
The Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) has severely weakened the National Food Authority’s (NFA) ability to stabilize rice prices and supply, stripping it of key regulatory powers—including the authority to sell rice directly to the public. Once a crucial player in controlling market prices through timely imports and public sales, the NFA is now reduced to […]