Latest in Department of AgricultureThe Philippine hog industry is collapsing under the weight of imported pork from Brazil flooding the local market, with live hog prices crashing from over ₱200 per kilo to ₱110-130, and former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol is warning that when hog raisers quit, the corn farmers who…
The government’s approach of giving farmers cash assistance and handouts as its primary agricultural intervention is wrong, counterproductive, and breeds dependence rather than productivity, former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol said Wednesday. The former Agriculture chief made the…
Former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol is promoting two unlikely food crops as the future of Philippine food security—wagyu beef cattle, which he says can be raised profitably even in backyard farms, and breadfruit, a native tree that provides food for generations from a single…
The Marcos administration’s economic team is systematically undercounting agriculture’s contribution to the Philippine economy by ignoring food processing and manufacturing, former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol said Wednesday. Piñol claimed that this error that makes the Philippine…
The Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) did not bring down rice prices as promised, former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol said Wednesday. In fact, Piñol said it drove them higher, while simultaneously killing the livelihoods of Filipino rice farmers by surrendering the country’s rice…
The Philippines is on a path toward becoming a failed state in terms of food security if it continues to rely on importation rather than boosting local food production, former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol warned Wednesday. Piñol made the statement in an interview on DZRH News…
The “Walang Gutom” Food Stamp Program exclusively accredits small agriculture cooperatives as redemption points for its food credits, a deliberate policy to ensure government aid flows directly to both food-poor families and small Filipino farmers. Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian made the…
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is building five to six mega food hubs across the Philippines—each spanning 30 to 40 hectares—where only farmers, not traders, can sell directly to consumers, Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel said Saturday. Tiu Laurel made the disclosure in an…
Philippine heirloom rice—prized varieties grown in the highland communities of Banaue and Ilocos—is set to return to international markets next year, with Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel saying the premium grain can command as much as 20 euros per kilo abroad. Tiu Laurel made the…
When Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel took office under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in November 2023, he received three clear directives—clean up the department, implement ₱20-per-kilo rice, and help farmers earn. Years later, Tiu Laurel says there have been wins—but also…
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) has upgraded the Philippines’ food system rating from “laggard” to “performer” in its 2025 assessment, citing improved logistics and reduced post-harvest losses, a senior DA official said Saturday. DA…
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved ₱300 million in additional funding for the Philippine ube industry for 2027, as the Department of Agriculture (DA) sets its sights on making the Philippines the world’s top ube producer, Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel said Saturday.…
The Department of Agriculture has established a dedicated Export Office for the first time in its history, with Philippine mangoes now being sold in Italy, France, and Canada as a result, Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel said Saturday. Tiu Laurel made the disclosure in an…
The Department of Agriculture’s budget has doubled from approximately ₱100 billion under the previous administration to ₱200 billion under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel said Saturday. Tiu Laurel made the statement in an interview on DZRH News…
The number of Kadiwa centers nationwide has grown from 140 to 170 sites to 800 fully operational locations, Agriculture Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel said Saturday. Tiu Laurel made the disclosure in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on July 18, as part of the DZRH SONA…
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