The Department of Agriculture (DA) will formally launch a Food Security Task Force on Monday, April 6, in a decisive move to shield the country’s food supply from the impact of escalating tensions in the Middle East.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the task force will replace the agency’s previous ad hoc monitoring system with a more structured and aggressive approach to tracking supply, prices, and trade disruptions.
The new body will issue daily situation reports to Congress and the Office of the President, aiming to speed up government response and tighten coordination amid growing uncertainty in global markets.
Officials said the task force is expected to close information gaps and enable faster interventions to protect both consumers and local producers.
Tiu Laurel emphasized that ongoing shipping disruptions, particularly in the Middle East, are already hurting key Philippine exports such as bananas and pineapples. Exporters have been forced to divert shipments to alternative markets, often at lower prices, resulting in significant losses.
To cushion the impact, the DA is working with financial institutions, including Land Bank of the Philippines, to support affected exporters. The agency is also exploring new markets in Africa, Australia, Europe, and Southeast Asia, though logistical hurdles and stiff competition remain challenges.
The DA chief underscored the urgency of the situation, noting that food supply, prices, and trade routes now require daily monitoring.
He added that coordination with Malacañang has been ongoing, but the formal creation of the task force marks a stronger, more focused effort to safeguard the agriculture sector and the broader economy from global shocks.
