The Department of Agriculture (DA) has established a program management and technical working group to pursue the country’s sustainable potato program (SPP) with the aim of enhancing food sufficiency and boosting farmer profitability.
Under Special Order No. 596, series of 2025, signed 10 April and made public on Monday, the DA said the PMG will spearhead the direction of the program by providing policy guidance, approving implementing frameworks, and engaging stakeholders — including farmer cooperatives and private partners — in the modernization of potato farming.
The SPP, which began in 2019, focuses on building sustainable seed systems and improving productivity in key potato-producing areas. With the PMG in place, the DA expanded its capacity-building efforts and introduced advanced agricultural technologies to support farmers in seed multiplication, pest management, and market linkage.
“The PMG will ensure timely implementation and coherence in the SPP’s expansion, particularly in its goal to establish self-sustaining farmer cooperatives,” the DA said. It added that representatives from the private sector, particularly those involved in the potato industry, will join the management body to strengthen industry collaboration.
Meanwhile, the TWG — composed of DA staff and attached agencies — will handle the technical execution of activities, including inspection of seed sites, development of a monitoring framework, and identification of expansion areas. It will also prepare an exit strategy for farmer groups to independently manage the commercialization of the potato value chain.
The announcement follows the DA’s earlier five-year partnership with Universal Robina Corp. (URC), a major potato chip producer, to help upscale SPP implementation in the Cordilleras, Bukidnon, and Davao. In 2024, URC distributed over 500 metric tons of potato seeds planted in 202 hectares, yielding a total estimated production of 23,000 metric tons.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, national potato output rose by 2.7 percent in 2024, reaching 102,790.84 metric tons.
DA officials expressed optimism that the new management structure will drive further growth and modernization in the local potato industry.
