DA to follow Bongbong Marcos’ order on food production

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) will follow the order of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to prioritize the formulation and implementation of approaches that will increase food production in the country.

DA Undersecretary for Operations and Chief-of-Staff Leocadio Sebastian said that Marcos ordered the “finalization of the agency’s operational plan” to enhance productivity and lower the market prices of rice, corn, vegetables, livestock, poultry, and fisheries.

“With the incoming wet season posing a threat to the agriculture and fisheries sector, Undersecretary Sebastian clarifies that the country has sufficient rice for all Filipinos,” the DA said in a statement Tuesday.

“Additional fertilizer procured—via government-to-government approach, are also being studied to potentially negate the high prices of farm input due to the Ukraine crisis,” it added.

Citing reports from Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the DA said the Philippine inflation rate spiked to 6.1 percent in June 2022, with food and non-alcoholic beverages contributing 58.3 percent to the uptrend.

In the same month, the DA noted that food inflation increased to 6.4 percent, which is higher than the 3.9 percent recorded in June 2021.

Sebastian urged employees to serve farmers and fisherfolk “more effectively and efficiently” amid the country’s food crisis.

“Let’s do our work, and let’s do it as best as possible in the coming months kasi kailangan tayo ng ating mga magsasaka at fisherfolk,” Sebastian said.

(Let’s do our work, and let’s do it as best as possible in the coming months because our farmers and fisherfolk need us.) — Iliana Padigos, INQUIRER.net intern 

RELATED STORIES:

Bongbong Marcos visits DA, vows to bolster food production

Inflation slowed to 3% in January

Expensive food, fuel push PH inflation to 42-month high of 5.4 percent

JPV/abc