Agriculture

The Department of Agriculture is sharpening its strategy against the potential return of the El Niño weather phenomenon, responding directly to alerts from central bank officials that future droughts could trigger a new wave of inflation. Monetary authorities have emphasized that farm output and market prices are deeply linked, making agriculture policy a primary front in the country’s fight against rising living costs. For everyday consumers, any drop in farm production quickly turns into higher prices for kitchen staples, directly impacting household budgets.

Philippine egg producers are joining forces to build the country’s emerging cage-free market, forming the first industry association focused on production as demand grows from hospitality, foodservice, and corporate buyers.

The Philippine coconut industry is emerging as a major export growth driver, with shipments surging 34 percent to USD3.6 billion in 2025 as the government seeks to capture more global demand for higher-value coconut products.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.  on Thursday threw his support behind efforts to modernize the country’s egg industry during a visit to the P300-million processing facility of the Batangas Egg Producers Multipurpose Cooperative (BEPCO) here, accompanied by Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr.

The Department of Trade and Industry is targeting more than P1 billion in sales from national trade fairs this year as it expands government-led marketplaces designed to connect Filipino micro, small, and medium enterprises with domestic and international buyers.