Categories
Government

AGRI SECTOR TO GROW 2.5% IN 2020 – DAR

The Department of Agriculture (DA) foresees farm production growth at 2.5 percent in 2020 with the full implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), a component of Republic Act No. 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Law. “(We will have) full rollout (of the RCEF) next year. (Growth target) should be between 2 to 3 […]

Categories
Government

EDUFARMS TO GIVE FARMERS NATIONWIDE NEEDED TRAINING – DA

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with private firm Corteva Agriscience in a bid to boost the country’s rice and corn productivity. The collaboration focuses on three projects – Rice EduFarm, Corn EduFarm, and Fall Armyworm Mitigation. EduFarms will provide farmers with season-long, on-field and in-classroom training that will […]

Categories
Government

USE OF HYBRID RICE DEAL SIGNED – DAR

The government and industry stakeholders have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on a program that encourages farmers to use inbred or hybrid seeds to increase their harvest and become competitive. The Department of Agriculture (DA), SL Agritech Corporation (SLAC), and Go Negosyo recently forged the MOA on “Masaganang Ani 300” at the DA central […]

Categories
Government

DAR TO NFA: LOWER RICE PRICES TO P27 PER KILO

Agriculture Secretary William Dar has ordered the National Food Authority (NFA) to bring down rice prices to P27 per kilo by flooding Metro Manila markets with 3.6 million bags of the staple grain.  Dar also directed the agency to increase palay support price to P19 from P17 per kilo. “The NFA Council (NFAC) met and […]

Categories
Government

RICE TO BE GIVEN TO 4Ps BENEFICIARIES – DAR

Instead of distributing a P600 rice subsidy per month, families under the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) will be given actual rice under a new proposal. Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary William Dar bared that his agency is working with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to convert the latter’s P600 subsidy […]

Categories
Politics

FARM MECHANIZATION TO LOWER RICE PRODUCTION COST – VILLAR

Senator Cynthia Villar led the opening of the training course on rice farm mechanization and inbred and rice seeds production at the Villar SIPAG Farm School in Bacoor, Cavite. Villar, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, said training the farmers how to mechanize farming practices and to produce certified inbred seeds will address […]

Categories
Government

P10B RICE FUND CRITICAL TO ACHIEVE GROWTH IN AGRICULTURE – PIÑOL

The implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) or Rice Fund would provide farmers with the needed compensation for the projected reduction or loss of farm income following the proposed rice tariffication. Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the proposed P10 billion RCEF “is very critical to achieve growth in agriculture.” As such, Piñol said […]

Categories
Government

RICE PROFITEERS TO LOSE LICENSE, FACE JAIL TIME, PAY P1M FINE – PIÑOL

Traders caught selling rice at prices higher than the government’s suggested retail price (SRP) can lose their license, face jail time, and pay a fine of up to P1 million, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol warns. Government will start imposing the penalties on violators once the guidelines take effect, Piñol said during the launch of the […]

Categories
Politics

CONGRESS WILL ACT QUICKLY ON RICE TARIFFICATION BILL – PANGANIBAN

House Committee on Agriculture chairman and ANAC-IP Rep. Jose Panganiban, Jr. expressed confidence on Monday that Congress will act quickly on the rice tariffication bill. President Rodrigo Duterte had certified its passage as urgent Wednesday last week. When certified as urgent, a bill need not undergo the three-day rule between the second and third reading […]

Categories
Politics

COME DOWN HARD ON PREDATORY MERCHANTS – PIMENTEL

With government set to impose suggested retail prices for rice and chicken soon, Senate Trade and Commerce Committee Chair Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III is urging authorities to come down hard on predatory merchants who will continue to sell overpriced goods. The National Food Authority (NFA) Council, along with the departments of agriculture, trade and industry, […]