The Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing to build on October’s slower food price increases, especially for the country’s poorest families, rolling out more market-focused actions to keep basic goods affordable while shielding local food production from rising costs. In a Thursday statement, the DA noted that food inflation for the bottom 30 percent of income-earning households eased to 9.4 percent year-on-year in October, down from 9.8 percent in September—a modest but encouraging sign that price pressures are beginning to lift for some of the nation’s most vulnerable consumers.
This progress has come even as farmers and producers face higher expenses for farm inputs and transport, making it clear that carefully designed support measures are key to keeping costs in check without disrupting food availability. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. confirmed the department will keep rolling out cost-saving steps across the food supply chain, including fuel and toll fee subsidies, financial aid for farmers, easier access to quality seeds and production inputs, crop insurance support, and reduced tariffs on key feed ingredients such as corn. He also noted that the government is expanding coverage of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! affordable rice program, extending greater protection to vulnerable groups including senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities against price swings driven by global events beyond the country’s control.
These efforts serve a dual purpose: helping local farmers stay productive while preventing rising costs from being fully passed on to households. Secretary Tiu Laurel emphasized that affordable food must always go hand-in-hand with steady, sufficient supplies, especially as climate change and shifting global conditions bring fresh challenges to both local farming and international food markets. The DA stressed that maintaining this positive trend will require progress on both sides of food security—protecting consumers from steep price hikes while strengthening the ability of local producers to grow and supply enough food for the nation.
