A WORLD BANK (WB)-supported fisheries program with funding of $200 million (P10 billion) is close to being approved for implementation, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

In a statement Wednesday, the DA said the seven-year project, known as the Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) initiative, is expected to launch early next year. It is expected to benefit 500,000 fisherfolk and other stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

The project will be implemented by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

“It aims to support the scaling-up and modernization of the Philippine capture fisheries and aquaculture industry, through the provision of technical support and innovation, access to modern and resilient fisheries infrastructure and post-harvest facilities, and promotion of efficient connectivity and product value addition, among other initiatives,” the DA said.

It said the project has been set targets that include a 3% increase in household income and value-added for fishery commodities, a 5% reduction in postharvest losses, and a 1% to 5% reduction in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing incidences.

Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar said the project will be implemented in Fisheries Management Areas (FMA) 6 and 9, which covers 11 regions and 24 provinces spanning 32 million hectares of coastal and marine waters.

FMA 6 consists of the coastal waters that include Pagudpud Bay, Subic Bay, and Manila Bay while FMA 9 covers the Bohol Sea, Panguil Bay, Iligan Bay, Gingoog Bay, Butuan Bay, and Sogod Bay. 

“We are optimistic that the FishCoRe Project will establish examples of good governance mechanisms, leading to better management of the ‘blue resources’ and aquaculture development in two FMAs,” Mr. Dar said.

The BFAR has divided the country into 12 FMAs.

The DA said the World Bank has been supportive since the negotiations for the project started in 2020.

“We fully support the goals of the FishCoRe Project to sustainably improve incomes of Filipino fisherfolk, and support resilient coastal communities through enhanced ecosystem management, productivity-enhancing technologies, aquaculture, reduced post-harvest losses, value-chain infrastructure, and related activities,” World Bank Country Director Achim Fock said in a previous letter to Mr. Dar. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave

NINE REGIONAL trading centers posted lower average retail prices for well-milled rice in early October, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The PSA said in a report that the retail prices cover a period that it calls the first phase of October (Oct. 1-5), and were compared with the second phase of September (Sept. 15-17).

The average price of well-milled rice declined in Butuan by P2.91 to P39.69 per kilogram.

The average price of well-milled rice declined in San Fernando City by P1.19 to P37.83, in Kidapawan City by 98 centavos to P42.21, in Batangas City by 75 centavos to P44.40, and in Baguio City by 43 centavos to P37.83.

Lower prices were also reported in the National Capital Region (NCR), where they fell 25 centavos to P42.85, in Calapan City by 17 centavos to P43.60, in Tuguegarao City by 13 centavos to P35.38, and in Iloilo City by eight centavos to P38.58.

The PSA said the average price of bone-in pork rose in five trading centers during the period.

Kidapawan City prices rose P20 to P230/kg, in Butuan City by P14.91 to P259.91, in Cebu City by P10.83 to P205.83, in San Fernando City by P5 to P300, and in Legazpi City by P3.38 to P343.74.

The PSA said prices fell in Calapan City by P27.63 to P257.84, in Tuguegarao City by P20 to P290, in the NCR by P18.49 to P269.85, and in Iloilo City by P14 to P226.

The PSA said the average price of round scad (galunggong) declined in Baguio City by P34 to P170/kg, in San Fernando City by P10 to P180, in Butuan City by P9.35 to P158.91, in Pagadian City by P8.75 to P96.25, and in the NCR by P5.59 to P226.75.

Price increases were recorded in Digos City by P40 to P155, in Tuguegarao City by P10 to P200, and in Iloilo City by P4.16 to P162.08. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave 

MEAT PROCESSORS said they oppose plans to more widely distribute pork imports to areas where prices are high, saying the measure will not significantly address high prices.

In a statement, the Philippine Association of Meat Processors, Inc. (PAMPI) said Memorandum Circular No. 23 issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA) on Oct. 25 “is an exercise in futility and will not address the unabated high prices of pork.”

In a memorandum circular, the department cleared the distribution of pork imports to include areas with “relatively high” prices of pork outside the current coverage area known as the National Capital Region Plus (NCR Plus), which consists of Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite.

Initially, the DA had allowed the sale of pork imports in wet markets, supermarkets, and Kadiwa outlets within the NCR Plus.

The memorandum circular also allowed the selling of pork imports under MAV plus to processors and institutional buyers.

According to PAMPI, the government increased the volume of pork imports and reduced tariffs without addressing the constraints on selling imported pork, which is frozen, in wet markets without freezers.

“Stall owners in wet markets do not have freezers. They barely have enough capital to pay for daily deliveries of fresh pork. So how can they sell imported pork even if they are priced cheaper?” PAMPI said.

“On the other hand, importers and traders who fell for the reduced tariff incentive cannot move their imported pork to the wet markets. As a result, imported pork products are tied up in cold storage,” it added.

As of Oct. 11, the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) estimated that frozen pork in accredited cold storage facilities at 73,294.01 metric tons (MT), up 60.2% from a year earlier.

Rolando E. Tambago, Pork Producers Federation of the Philippines, Inc. president, said in a mobile phone interview with BusinessWorld that the recent memorandum circular of the DA is “ridiculously unreasonable.”

“The DA should offer tangible solutions to help hog producers and make sure that the surplus supply from the Visayas and Mindanao is reallocated to other major market areas,” Mr. Tambago said.

“In fact, there are regions in the Visayas and Mindanao that are experiencing massive surpluses of pork,” he added.

Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura Executive Director Jayson H. Cainglet said in a statement that there is no mechanism for distinguishing pork imports within the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) quota, which are covered by the order, from those exceeding the MAV quota once the products exit the port of first entry.

“Since there is no first border quarantine inspection, we would not even know if these pork imports are tainted with African Swine Fever (ASF) or not,” Mr. Cainglet said.

On May 10, President Rodrigo R. Duterte issued EO 133, which expanded the MAV quota for pork to 254,210 MT from the previous 54,210 MT, referred to as the so-called MAV plus, in order to increase supply and stabilize prices in the wake of the African Swine Fever outbreak.

The additional 200,000 MT worth of pork imports were divided into two tranches, with 140,000 MT scheduled to arrive between July and October and the remaining 60,000 MT landing between November and January. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave 

THE PHILIPPINES expects to collaborate with Hungary in areas like digitalization and transportation, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

In a statement Wednesday, the DTI said it met with Hungarian representatives on Oct. 18 and 19 for the third meeting of the two countries’ Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation.

The DTI said discussions on transport cooperation are expected to begin soon with a draft memorandum of understanding (MOU) already tabled for consideration.

It added that the two sides also clarified their plans to cooperate on the environment.

“The meeting also paved the way for discussions on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) cooperation and science, technology and innovation through MoUs being finalized by relevant agencies with their Hungarian counterparts,” the DTI said.

Agreements announced include a material transfer agreement between the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Bureau of Plant and Industry for a project in Barangay Don Bosco, Parañaque City. The agreement involves vegetable seed for testing and experimentation.

Another agreement was a partnership agreement between Startup Campus Inkubator Plc., Hungary and QBO Innovation Hub.

“(The agreement) aims to capitalize on the rapidly growing startup ecosystems with government support in high-growth services such as artificial intelligence, big data, and financial technology, among others,” the DTI said.

The DTI said discussions are continuing on finalizing a loan package to implement projects of the Laguna Lake Development Authority and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

“The projects include an online water quality monitoring system in Laguna de Bay and its tributaries and the purchase of compact water treatment units for use during disasters and other emergencies,” the DTI said. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave