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The Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing for a major expansion of the country’s palm oil industry to reduce heavy import dependence and eventually provide a local feedstock for cleaner fuels. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. told a House of Representatives budget hearing that the government needs to provide substantially more funding to develop […]
The Department of Agriculture is looking at a major infrastructure project that could turn Pampanga’s flood-prone Candaba Swamp into a vast water storage, irrigation, and agricultural transport network, with canals potentially stretching 100 meters wide and reaching 7 meters deep. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA has commissioned a P150-million study with […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is tightening its campaign against counterfeit, unregistered, adulterated, and illegally manufactured farm inputs, with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordering tougher market surveillance and enforcement by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA). Earlier, a team of FPA and Police Provincial Office, Talavera and Rizal Police, raided a facility where […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is turning to biotechnology to strengthen one of the Philippines’ biggest agricultural exports, unveiling the country’s first seaweed bioreactor to produce disease-free planting materials year-round and raise productivity across the industry as part of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. sustainable program for agriculture. Installed at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) are shifting into high gear against the red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI), rolling out drones, chemical spraying, financial aid, and long-term biological controls to contain an outbreak threatening the country’s sugar industry, particularly in Negros Island and Western Visayas. The DA has earmarked P35 […]
Lower food prices, particularly rice, helped cool inflation in June, prompting Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. to push for the extension of the government’s price cap on imported rice while sustaining efforts to keep food supplies ample and markets stable. Headline inflation eased to 6.4 percent in June from 6.8 percent in May, according […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is intensifying efforts to preserve the iconic Ifugao Rice Terraces as mounting climate pressures, aging infrastructure, and changing farm economics threaten one of the country’s most important agricultural heritage landscapes. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. visited Banaue to assess the condition of the rice terraces, inspect critical agricultural infrastructure, […]
The Philippines and Denmark have launched a pilot project aimed at modernizing the country’s offshore fishing industry, introducing advanced Danish midwater trawl technology to improve fish production, strengthen scientific fisheries management, and promote sustainable harvesting practices. The Partnership Agreement, signed by the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and the Danish […]
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is advocating a whole-of-government approach to ensure Laguna Lake remains productive for fisherfolk and fishpen operators, sustainable as a critical water source for Metro Manila, reliable for food security, and effective as part of the region’s flood control system. After a series of consultations with fisherfolk and aquaculture operators around […]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has ordered the reconvening of the Department of Agriculture’s El Niño task force to prepare the country for a potentially severe episode later this year, warning that the prolonged dry spell could hit crop production, hurt farmers’ incomes, and drive up food prices. “It is imperative that we put […]