DA angling for Treasury bond issue to fund agriculture
AGRICULTURE SECRETARY Emmanuel F. Piñol said that he will discuss with the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) the possibility of issuing bonds for the benefit of the agriculture sector.
Inflation crisis helps bring sweeping reform to rice growing industry
RICE was very much at the center of the political debate in 2018, from its starring role in stoking inflation to the future of the National Food Authority as a provider of support prices to farmers and a supplier of subsidized grain to the poor. By the end of the year, a bill was on the President’s desk that threatened to sweep the old order away, removing the NFA’s admittedly corruption-riddled role in rice imports and leaving it to the private sector.
Doubts cast on Agri dept’s 1% farm growth estimate
THE agriculture sector’s growth for 2018 could have been flat -- or worse than the 1% estimate given by Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol, an economist said.
NFA to pay cash, ease rules to further entice rice sellers
THE National Food Authority, which is in the middle of a restructuring to focus on domestic rice purchasing and storage, will move to ease the requirements on farmers seeking to sell their output to the agency.
India considering raising sugar selling price
NEW DELHI -- The Indian government is considering raising the minimum selling price of sugar, television news channel ET Now reported on Friday.
Brexit uncertainty hits brewing barley sales to EU
LONDON/HAMBURG (Reuters) -- Sales of British malting barley to European Union brewers and malt producers for delivery after Brexit have come to a virtual stop because of uncertainty about future trading relations.
Ivory Coast cocoa bean quality hit by dry weather, financing woes
ABIDJAN/NEW YORK -- Farmers in top cocoa grower Ivory Coast say the current crop is worsening, with beans starting to rot, as lack of financing prevents them from properly fermenting and drying beans already stressed by bad weather.
US shutdown sets off hunt for farm data
CHICAGO -- When the US Department of Agriculture announced last week that a slew of key farm reports would not be released on Friday due to the partial government shutdown, the phones at crop forecaster Gro Intelligence blew up.
Iloilo farmers betting on carabao milk market
ILOILO CITY -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking to develop the dairy industry in Iloilo province, using milk from the native carabao.
WB to raise rural incomes halfway to target
THE World Bank (WB) said its assistance to farmers and fisherfolk in the Philippines has increased their income by 15% over four years, or halfway to the 30% target of income growth by 2021.
Fertilizer prices rise
THE AVERAGE price of four grades of fertilizer rose year-on-year in November, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
Sarangani abaca cooperative signs China supply deal
DAVAO CITY -- A cooperative in Sarangani province is expanding its abaca production area to about 1,000 hectares as it started selling its products to China.