AGRIBUSINESS
About 12 million Filipinos work in the agricultural sector. If the country can significantly increase its exports and imports of agricultural goods, agricultural provinces would generate much greater revenue, provide more employment opportunities, and lessen poverty in rural areas. This is especially important for Mindanao, the country's breadbasket that has great underdeveloped potential for agricultural exports.
Background
The Philippine agricultural sector comprised 19% of GDP in 2009 and employed 34% of the labor force. Yet agricultural products made up only 8.3% of total Philippine commodity exports and Philippine agricultural exports were the smallest of the ASEAN-5. [ Read This Chapter ]Recommendations
Philippine agriculture needs to explore fully the immense new market opportunities that AFTA and other new FTAs present for both traditional and new agricultural exports. The farming sector should be made more aware of these enhanced export opportunities.... [ Read This Chapter ]
News Updates
[OPINION] Is banana sagging?
3 November, 2017 at 16:00
It may be playing on words, but our title is a serious question motivated by recent trends in the industry. Two years ago a newspaper bannered the report “Philippine banana export industry under threat,” while last year another broadsheet…
NIA targets to develop 85% of irrigable...
24 October, 2017 at 14:30
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is targeting to develop some 85% of total irrigable lands in two decades which can be achievable as long as their annual budget is not cut down further to its current level.
Passage of bill amending PCIC charter pushed
4 October, 2017 at 09:50
A lawmaker urged Congress to pass a measure that would amend the charter of the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC) so it could offer index-based insurance coverage and allow it to engage in reinsurance.
Revenue loss due to tax perks down...
28 July, 2017 at 13:00
Activities related to the country’s top dollar earners—business process outsourcing and electronics—cornered the bulk of tax incentives given away by the government in 2015 totaling P104.4 billion, latest Department of Finance data showed.
Congress leaders to pass 38 priority bills
28 July, 2017 at 11:26
Congress leaders on Wednesday agreed to pass 38 bills they have included in the list of priority measures for the second regular session of the 17th Congress.
The Sixth Anniversary Arangkada Philippines Forum: Implementing...
12 July, 2017 at 10:44
The Sixth Anniversary Arangkada Philippines Forum of the Joint Foreign Chambers (JFC) of the Philippines will be held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom on September 14, 2017.
Agri-foods China buys from Asean
28 June, 2017 at 16:30
China has a population of 1.3 billion and growing. It faces land and water scarcity, peaking farm productivity, and polluted lands and rivers.
[OPINION] ‘Unli rice’ and rice trade
20 June, 2017 at 10:24
Poor Sen. Cynthia Villar. She was well meaning, I’m sure, when she made that controversial remark last week about prohibiting unlimited rice servings in restaurants.
[OPINION] Impressive, sana!
25 April, 2017 at 09:30
The Infrastructure presentation last week was impressive. The use of social media to spread the word around was impressive as well.
[OPINION] Reboot
21 April, 2017 at 14:50
When I was first introduced to the personal computer decades ago, there were times when the operating system did not work properly.
[OPINION] Our stubborn rice policy
19 April, 2017 at 17:00
I have written so much over the years, including in this column, about our deeply flawed policies on rice. It has been tiring and exasperating.
Ditch rice policy, gov’t urged
17 April, 2017 at 12:00
The government’s policy on rice continues to be stuck on self-sufficiency and a conflicted practice on importation despite recommendations from local economic experts from the government, private sector and the academe as well as international
The economic revolution the Philippines really needs
21 February, 2017 at 10:06
For political, social, moral, and geo-political reasons, the revolution that the Philippines really needs is a productivity revolution in agriculture.
Tariff scheme for rice high on agenda...
28 December, 2016 at 13:00
The Philippines is rushing to set a tariff scheme for rice after the lapse of the quantitative restriction (QR) regime.
NIA to irrigate all available PHL farmlands
20 December, 2016 at 17:00
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) is keen on providing irrigation to all arable lands in the country under the Duterte administration, according to its new chief.
Backslide
20 December, 2016 at 15:00
Last Saturday, hundreds of farmers working with Marsman Estate Plantation Inc. (MEPI) happily celebrated the company’s foundation day. Over 1,000 agrarian reform beneficiaries entered into agribusiness venture agreements (AVAs) with the company.
