Agriculture
Updated farmland conversion policy expected next month
The Department of Agriculture is set to release a refined set of rules governing farmland conversion within the coming weeks, a measure aimed at balancing national development with food security.
Importers may need to fund local rice facilities to get import permits under proposed law
The Department of Agriculture is pushing for a policy requiring rice importers to invest in local rice infrastructure before they can bring in foreign shipments, a measure being included in the proposed Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment Act or RICE Act.
DA restricts frozen fish imports to closed season to protect local market and safeguard prices
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has clarified that a plan to allow up to 250,000 metric tons of imported frozen fish will only take effect during the country’s closed fishing season, which typically runs from November to January depending on the region. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized that this condition is vital to prevent imported stock from driving down prices for local fishers while ensuring market stability during off-peak harvesting periods and potential supply shocks from El Niño.
Low-cost rice program drives P4.4B Kadiwa sales over four years
Agriculture’s flaghip P20 per kilogram rice program has pushed total sales for the Kadiwa ng Pangulo rolling stores past the P4.4 billion mark over a four-year period.
PH, South Korea launch agriculture data platform
The Department of Agriculture and South Korean partners launched the Agriculture-based Central Data Ecosystem platform on Wednesday.
