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
Agri must accelerate growth
31 May, 2019 at 14:09
To further boost the economy, agriculture has to recover from its 10-year low-growth phase and expand by at least 2 percent per annum, said Carlos Dominguez, finance secretary.
After infra, agri
26 April, 2019 at 11:42
The first three years of the Duterte administration concentrated on infrastructure with its “Build, Build, Build” program. This initiative has gained momentum and is seen to continue for the next three years.
PCC finalizing nat’l competition policy EO
6 March, 2019 at 14:02
The National Competition Policy, a comprehensive framework that steers regulations and administrative procedures, is being finalized by the Philippine Competition Commission…
Policy reforms pushed to reinvigorate agriculture sector
12 February, 2019 at 17:02
The Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) is urging government to prioritize policy reforms that would help reinvigorate the agriculture sector…
Economic cluster calls for greater focus on...
12 February, 2019 at 11:06
Economic managers are calling on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to boost the farm sector’s performance as the administration continued to work on tempering inflation…
[OPINION] Terrified of tariffication
25 January, 2019 at 10:52
Why do many voices sound so terrified of the coming tariffication of rice imports? Even within government, there are signs that suggest continuing resistance to this long-awaited reform.
Business groups urge PRRD to sign the...
23 January, 2019 at 10:41
We, the undersigned business and professional organizations, hereby strongly support ongoing efforts and measures of the administration to liberalize the economy and thereby unleash its…
[OPINION] The future (2)
4 January, 2019 at 16:35
This is the conclusion of my column last week on technological advances we are seeing now, and what we will see in the coming years.
[OPINION] What caused the slowdown?
19 November, 2018 at 14:37
The third-quarter GDP growth report was a letdown to many, as the 6.1-percent GDP growth rate reported was much slower than the 7.2-percent figure posted…
Government urged to focus on main harvest...
29 October, 2018 at 12:00
The government must allocate more investments in major rice areas to ensure improved production and strengthen its competitiveness, former Agriculture Secretary William Dar said.
[OPINION] Structural weaknesses in our economy: What...
19 October, 2018 at 16:30
In my last column, “The Structural Weaknesses of the Philippine Economy,” I said that the recent economic data show the structural weaknesses of the Philippine economy: low agricultural productivity, weak export growth, and…
Duterte’s Luster Dulls as Rice Prices Soar...
15 October, 2018 at 18:00
Through controversy after controversy, President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines has always been able to count on his appeal among the nation’s poor. But soaring prices for staples like rice are starting to alienate that vital base of support.
[OPINION] The structural weaknesses of the Philippine...
13 September, 2018 at 15:00
Recent economic data show the structural weaknesses of the Philippine economy.
[OPINION] Strictly limit NFA’s role
18 June, 2018 at 12:11
There have been growing complaints about inflation, how everything is costing more and people are suffering. Yet one simple thing we in the economic world have been complaining about for years remains unresolved.
Bill that will give free climate-based crop...
8 June, 2018 at 13:00
A bill that will stop the distribution of calamity funds to farmers and replace it with free climate-based crop insurance is now in the works.
Philippines on wrong path to agro-industrialization
22 March, 2018 at 10:15
Even as the Philippines continues to lag behind its neighbors in the agriculture sector, it is now moving to modernize the industry to keep up with the increasing population and effects of climate change.
