THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said Friday that it has approved certificates of necessity to import (CNI) for 60,000 metric tons (MT) of fish, in order to increase supply during the latest lockdown and to offset the impact of the closed season in major fishing grounds.   

In a statement, the DA said the approved imports cover species such as round scad (galunggong), mackerel, and bonito, with the imports to be sold in public wet markets in Metro Manila and other areas with fish deficits.   

“The CNI is valid from Sept. 2 until December 2021, with the approved quantity being slightly lower than the supply deficiency projected by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) of 65,000 MT in the fourth quarter,” the DA said.  

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said: “Our primordial concern is to enhance and sustain the development of our fisheries sector, and provide our fellow citizens affordable fish on the table,” Mr. Dar said.   

Mr. Dar said the decision was made on the recommendation of the BFAR, in coordination with the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), and in consultation with the National Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (NFARMC) as well as the fishing industry.   

The DA said the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) recommended a cap on imports of 200,000 MT for the fourth quarter of 2021 and first quarter of 2022.   

According to the DA, closed season is in force in the Davao Gulf (June 1 to Aug. 31), Visayan Sea (Nov. 15 to Feb. 15), Sulu Sea (Dec. 1 to Feb. 28), and Northeast Palawan (November to January) to allow the regeneration of small pelagic fish and other species.   

Mr. Dar also signed Administrative Order No. 22 Friday, which lays out the guidelines for the implementation of the CNI.   

Under the order, only importers of good standing and compliant with food safety guidelines will be allowed to participate.   

It added that interested importers should have imported at least 70% of the total volume assigned to them during the previous importation period, and are not involved in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing.   

The order also provided that the imported fish should arrive within 20 days from receipt of the sanitary and phytosanitary import clearances (SPSIC), and prescribed an auction to determine allocations from the 60,000 MT.   

“The BFAR will process the SPSICs of winning (auction participants) and endorse them to the DA Secretary for approval. Transfer of allocation is not allowed. Importers should sell the imported fish at P88 per kilogram wholesale, based on the 2020 CNI fish auction conducted by BFAR, or lower as a result of the cost unbundling for imported small pelagic fishes,” the order said. 

“From the Customs Clearing House, the importer should directly unload the imported frozen/chilled fish at its BFAR-registered cold storage facility and trade the imported products at the PFDA fish ports or PFDA-designated trading areas,” it added.  – Revin Mikhael D. Ochave 

PRODUCTION of cacao, coconut, rubber, and sugarcane increased in the second quarter while output of abaca, coffee, and tobacco declined, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.  

PSA said in a bulletin that coconut production for the three months to June rose 0.8% year-on-year to 3.29 million metric tons (MT). 

The Davao Region accounted for 13.8% or 455,448.53 MT, Northern Mindanao 13.3% or 436,738.98 MT, and Zamboanga Peninsula 12.7% or 416,403.45 MT.   

Sugarcane output for the quarter rose 34.8% to 6.91 million MT.   

“Sugarcane for centrifugal sugar accounted for 98.2% of total sugarcane production. The remaining 1.8% was the collective share of sugarcane for ethanol, panocha/muscovado, chewing, and basi/vinegar,” PSA said.   

Western Visayas was the top sugarcane producer with 46.9% of the total or 3.24 million MT, followed by Northern Mindanao at 20.4% or 1.41 million MT, and Central Visayas at 13.8% or 956,008.56 MT.  

Rubber production rose 5.9% to 123,819.09 MT, led by the Zamboanga Peninsula, which accounted for 39.1% or 48,377.01 MT, followed by ARMM (Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) at 36.2% or 44,774.45 MT, and SOCCSKSARGEN (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and General Santos City) at 16.5% or 20,404.2 MT.

Cacao output during the quarter rose 9.9% to 2,224.57 MT. Davao Region accounted for 71.4% or 1,588.54 MT, Zamboanga Peninsula 6.5% or 145.54 MT, and Cagayan Valley 5.7% or 125.79 MT.   

Abaca fiber production for the quarter fell 1.2% to 18,057.76 MT. The top producer was the Bicol Region with a 29.6% share or 5,349.97 MT, followed by Eastern Visayas at 19.7% or 3,551.65 MT, and CARAGA a14.7% or 2,661.75 MT.   

Dried coffee berry output fell 0.3% to 5,866.16 MT. 

“Robusta coffee was still the most produced type (with) 56.6% of the total during the period,” the PSA said.   

Arabica coffee accounted for 30.2%, followed by Excelsa coffee with 12.5%, and Liberica coffee 0.5%. SOCCSKSARGEN accounted for 30.7% or 1,800.92 MT, followed by Davao Region with 21.8% or 1,276.76 MT and ARMM 21.3% or 1,250.17 MT.   

Dried leaf tobacco production declined 2.1% to 36,831.33 MT, led by Ilocos Region with 67.7% of the total or 24,933.85 MT, followed by the Cagayan Valley with 30% or 11,042.17 MT, and the Cordillera Administrative Region 1.4% or 532.89 MT.    

The burley variety accounted for 42.4% of the crop, followed by Virginia tobacco with 41.4%, the PSA said.   

The PSA reported in early August that the value of production of Philippine agriculture contracted by 1.5% in the second quarter as the livestock and fisheries subsectors declined 19.3% and 1.1%, respectively. Crop production rose 3.1% while poultry production improved 2.5%.  

The Agriculture department has lowered its 2021 growth target for the agriculture sector to 2% from 2.5% as a result of the lockdowns and the African Swine Fever outbreak.  – Revin Mikhael D. Ochave   

THE Department of Energy (DoE) said it has ordered the National Power Corp. (Napocor) to address the power supply concerns in Mindoro.   

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said in a virtual briefing Friday that he has tasked Napocor with addressing the power deficit on the island, adding that better power service is expected by the end of September.   

Mr. Cusi said he met with officials of Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (ORMECO) and will also talk with Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (OMECO) and Lubang Electric Cooperative (LUBECO) to resolve issues in their respective jurisdictions.   

Specifically, the DoE directed Napocor to fill the 25-megawatt (MW) power deficit of ORMECO, while also looking at linking the power systems of ORMECO and OMECO.   

“Napocor was tasked to provide the shortfall in supply by Sept. 2020 and for ORMECO to rush the procurement of supply… in accordance with competitive selection process policy within six months. National Transmission Corp. (TRANSCO) was also assigned to be the system operator which will enhance the transparency in the delivery of electricity services to the island,” the DoE said.   

Mr. Cusi added that power supply will be sufficient for the 2022 elections.   

“We can refer to the PEP (Philippine Energy Plan) and included in that is the demand and supply outlook, where we are not only looking at election time. What we stated there is there is enough power during the May 2022 elections,” Mr. Cusi said.   

Energy Undersecretary Felix William B. Fuentebella said last week that no yellow alerts and no power interruptions are expected during the 2022 elections. 

The DoE said planned preventive maintenance on the Malampaya gas field between Oct. 2 and 22 will also not result in supply deficits.   

Mr. Fuentebella said the DoE is looking at the 668 (MW) GNPower Dinginin, projected to be online in the third quarter of the year, for additional power, adding that there are two liquefied natural gas facilities expected to begin operations by next year.   

“As far as the months of September, October – even up to February next year–we have sufficient power, we have more than enough reserves,” Mr. Fuentebella said.  – Revin Mikhael D. Ochave