Traders caught selling rice at prices higher than the government’s suggested retail price (SRP) can lose their license, face jail time, and pay a fine of up to P1 million, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol warns. Government will start imposing the penalties on violators once the guidelines take effect, Piñol said during the launch of the […]
Author: Richard Sanchez
The AGRI Party-list has welcomed the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to bring the National Food Authority (NFA) under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture (DA), saying this would ensure better coordination in tackling perennial issues on rice. The President issued Executive Order 62, which transfers the NFA, Philippine Coconut Authority, and Fertilizer and […]
A party-list representing the agriculture sector called on government to immediately release funds for the relief of farmers affected by Typhoon ‘Ompong’ which hit the country last week. “We hope that the release of calamity funds will be rushed particularly in the areas hardest hit by Typhoon Ompong like Cagayan Valley, Ilocos, and Cordillera regions,” […]
The AGRI Party-list has lauded Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol for committing to resolve the Zamboanga rice crisis amid a barrage of criticism from various sectors over the perceived failure by government to prevent an escalation of rice prices in the region. The National Food Authority (NFA) Council on Wednesday decided to import 132,000 metric tons […]
Two months into the rainy season and with Congress resuming session next week, a party-list representing the agriculture sector urged the Senate to pass its counterpart bill expanding insurance coverage for farmers and fisherfolk––a measure that if passed will benefit 5.5 million small-hold farms and 1.7 million fishermen who are most vulnerable to the effects […]
The Departments of Agriculture (DA), Trade and Industry (DTI), Science and Technology (DOST), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Agrarian Reform (DAR), together with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), Philippine Rubber Industries Association (PRIA), Philippine Rubber Farmers Association (PRFA), and the University of Southern Mindanao have embarked on a […]
Senator Cynthia Villar recognized the crucial role of the Bureau of Agriculture & Fisheries Standards (BAFS) to ensure consumer safety while promoting the competitiveness of agriculture and fisheries products in the Philippines. “It is a two-fold goal that should not be at the expense of one or the other,” said Villar during the 19th Year […]
Senator Cynthia Villar, representing the Villar SIPAG Farm School, recently launched the Farmer’s Field School on Sustainable Pig Farming (FFS SPF), in partnership with the Agricultural Training Institute of the International Training Center on Pig Husbandry (ATI-ICPH). Fifty participants from Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Las Pinas have signed up for the 20-week training which […]
The Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance) recently conducted a 10-day training on freshwater aquaculture as an alternative source of livelihood where 31 trainees completed modules and hands-on activities on the art of fish food processing, aquascaping and aquaponics. In coordination with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Region […]
Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Agriculture and Food committee, underscored the significant contribution of cooperatives to combat poverty in the Philippines. Villar noted that cooperatives are truly the government and the private sector’s partners in promoting agriculture-driven growth and entrepreneurial development. The veteran legislator believes that nothing can equal the assistance being […]