NFA plans to keep rice supply balanced even with more imports
THE National Food Authority (NFA) said President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s order to freely import rice will not disadvantage farmers as the government will remain responsible for keeping the overall rice supply in equilibrium.
Bounty Fresh building up Indonesia chicken operation
BOUNTY FRESH Food Inc. has started building poultry feed and growing facilities in Indonesia, a company official said.
Agri dep’t opens TienDA farmers’ market in Taguig
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it opened a direct-from-farmers store in Taguig City as part of continuing measures to offer low-cost farm products to the public.
BFAR orders tracking systems for all commercial fishing boats
THE Department of Agriculture (DA), through the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), said all commercial fishing vessels are subject to government tracking and must have vessel monitoring measures (VMM) and electronic reporting systems (ERS).
Fisheries bureau partly lifts ban on collecting seaweed
FISHERIES Administrative Order (FAO) 250-2 will allow individual fishermen to collect, sell, trade, and transport Sargassum, a type of brown seaweed, subject to seasonal restrictions and permit requirements.
Coffee industry should emulate wine, not soda
NEW YORK -- Persistently low coffee prices for producers across the globe are a serious threat to the commodity, said the chairman of Italian premium coffee maker illycaffe SpA, who expects prices to begin taking a toll on production in coming years.
Durian’s next incarnation might be wine
DAVAO CITY -- Durian -- the funky-smelling, strong-tasting fruit that people either love or hate -- has been developed into many processed forms, including sweets, ice cream, and flavored coffee.
Farmers group asks Brazil for funds so its coffee farmers can delay sales
SAO PAULO -- Brazil’s farmers confederation, CNA, said on Friday it had officially requested government funding for a program that would allow coffee farmers to hold back sales and stock the product to avoid selling at current low prices.
Deepening agriculture crisis in India could hurt Modi’s re-election bid in May
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI -- The financial squeeze on India’s farmers is set to worsen because of record high fuel prices and surging costs of fertilisers, posing a challenge to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an election that must be held by May.
NFA plan to require rice permits for supermarkets ‘impractical’
THE “uncoordinated and impractical” imposition of the National Food Authority (NFA) of a rice permit for supermarkets provides an additional argument for the grains agency’s abolition, Senator Sherwin T. Gatchalian said on Sunday.
Small farms in Davao upland district eyed for agri-tourism
DAVAO CITY -- The upland district of Marilog -- home to numerous small vegetable, fruit, and flower farms as well as a growing number of hillside resorts and restaurants -- is being groomed to become one of the city’s main agri-tourism site.
Healthy-snack venture hoping to cement place in GenSan food universe
BUSINESS PARTNERS Chad D. Dorego, Alex Emmanuelle G. Aponesto, and Kaye M. Peratero from General Santos (GenSan) City maintain their own day jobs for now, but they aim to eventually pursue their Good Chips venture into a full-time social enterprise.