The Department of Agriculture (DA) proudly announced it had blacklisted 10 companies in the past six months for smuggling and other malpractices, as part of its strengthened campaign against these nefarious activities that disrupt the market to the prejudice of local farmers.

After DA 'blacklists' 10 firms, what next?

Properly frozen and stored confiscated fishery and meat products imported from abroad must be declared as such and put in reserve stockpile for use in emergencies.

Why not use seized food products for calamities?

A prescription by one of the largest farm groups in the country for government to first check the disconnect between farmgate and retail prices of agricultural products is, by far, the most practical, realistic and intelligent voice I heard these days since my experience yesterday buying onions from a non-trader but whose relative in Nueva Ecija asked them to sell at the street side of Tandang Sora showed a disparity of more than half compared to retail prices in the wet market.

Check disconnect in farmgate, retail prices

To ensure that more consumers are able to buy cheaper food items– particularly veggies– and that farmers have a ready market for their produce– the Department of Agriculture is adding 71 more Kadiwa stores by the end of December.

More Kadiwa stores by end-December

6-M bags of rice at ‘risk of rotting’

Music to importers’ ears

What importers are eagerly awaiting is for the Department of Agriculture (DA) to announce that it is looking at allowing the importation of a “small quantity’ of vegetables, which it just did,  and this is good music to their ears.

DA eyes imports of ‘small’ volume of veggies

Sector still affected by imports made by large millers

At the rate the Department of Agriculture (DA) keeps pushing for more rice and corn imports, even expanding supply agreements with other countries, small rice and corn mills in 1,000 barangays of the country have closed shop in a span of 10 years, because they could not compete with cheap imported grains by big millers.

The end of small community mills?

Beginning with imported rice, the departments of agriculture and trade and industry are studying setting a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) or price caps that would strike a balance between the cost of landing imported rice here and the interests of consumers.

DA eyes price caps imported food products

Poultry farmers in Leyte can now be assured that their farms are safe from the threat of avian influenza, more commonly known as “bird flu.”

Leyte now bird flu-free

Just to make a hard pitch for the return of powers to the National Food Authority (NFA) over rice, the Department of Agriculture (DA) is now claiming to be powerless over rice profiteers, who have been manipulating supply in the market just so they could dictate the retail prices for consumers.

DA

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