State Dining Room, Malacañan Palace
February 13, 2024
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. presided over a sectoral meeting to ensure an adequate supply of the country’s agricultural staples amid the impending threats of the El Niño phenomenon at the State Dining Room in Malacañan Palace.
During the meeting, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. presented his quarterly projections for several basic agricultural products for the year 2024 as the country braces for the effects of El Niño.
According to the DA Secretary, rice production this year is expected to reach 19.3 million metric tons (MT), ensuring that there will be a sufficient supply of rice for the first and second quarters. This supply has been augmented by imports, as well as the country’s local produce. High rice prices last year encouraged farmers to plant more.
Regarding corn, the DA assured that there is an ample supply based on the Corn Program Estimates. However, there is still a need to import due to projected deficits. Based on its National Corn Program for 2024, corn production this year without El Niño is at 7.6 million MT, but with El Niño, the projected yield is at 9.6 million MT. This is because corn flourishes in dry weather conditions. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) also predicted a higher annual supply of corn.
For livestock produce, there are adequate supplies of pork and chicken despite the ongoing Swine and Avian issues, which have been supplemented by ongoing importation. The PSA also supported these same findings, with no abrupt changes, as there have been no present outbreaks. Meanwhile, there is a surplus of chicken which provides a healthy outlook and has led to lowered prices. The DA also reported a surplus of eggs with farmgate price at PhP4.00, compared to PhP6.00 in the previous year, due to an increase in the number of farmers venturing into the industry.
Moreover, Secretary Laurel announced that there is a surplus of onion products with an increase in supply and cold storage facilities. Similarly, there is an ample supply of raw sugar, as well as refined sugar due to last year’s importations.
Meanwhile, the PSA reported that there will be a deficit in the supply of fish commodities, but given the conditions provided by the El Niño phenomenon, the DA anticipates that there will still be an adequate supply of fisheries.
Other topics in the sectoral meeting included fish production and preservation of migratory fish stocks, which the Chief Executive called for further study, especially concerning the delineation of jurisdiction and territorial authorities between the local government unit (LGU) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
* * *