The Department of Agriculture will focus on increasing agricultural production and mobilizing agricultural commodities at consumer-friendly prices under President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.
Undersecretary-designate for Consumer and Political Affairs Kristine Evangelista reiterated the President’s previous statement to prioritize the stabilizing of prices—which escalated as a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict—through intensified production of rice, corn, vegetables, fisheries, livestock, high-value crops, and other agricultural products.
“When he told us before that we have to reconstruct the value chain, it’s taking into account ‘yong ating supply sources and at the same time ‘yong demand requirement ng ating consumers, including institutional buyers, industrial users. Ganoon po ngayon ang ating direksiyon,” Evangelista explained.
“While the country’s rice production increased, importation might still be needed for augmentation and for buffer stocking.”
While the country’s rice production increased, she added, importation might still be needed for augmentation and for buffer stocking. Priority, however, remains to be given to local palay production.
Addressing concerns on the increasing prices and the stunting of poultry products, Evangelista relayed that the DA Livestock Group presented its ways forward—including the provision of feeds, biologics, enhanced biosecurity, and other forms of assistance to poultry raisers to keep prices in check.
The prevailing retail price of whole-dressed chicken at the National Capital Region (NCR) markets, according to the DA Bantay Presyo – NCR, is P200.
Meanwhile, the price monitoring group also noted that the prevailing retail price of refined sugar is at P90. Washed and brown sugar, on the other hand, are at P70.
“The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is considering the importation of sugar.”
To cushion the skyrocketing prices of sugar, Evangelista bared that the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is considering the importation of sugar—although this remains to be discussed.
Setting a suggested retail price (SRP) is another option, with various consultations with stakeholders in the sugar industry already on the way.
Evangelista, who is also the Officer-in-Charge – Director of the DA – Agribusiness and Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS), also shared that the Department’s existing projects and programs will undergo a thorough assessment to determine their efficacy.
With the high inputs and production costs inevitable due to the crisis in Ukraine, she explained that there is also a need to review the distribution of subsidies to local farmers, fishers, and animal raisers.
“Dapat maramdaman din po ng ating producers kung paano makatutulong sa kanila ‘yong subsidy, and at the same time, pagdating po sa merkado, maramdaman po natin na bumaba ang presyo,” she concluded.
