QUEZON CITY, (PIA) –  The Department of Agriculture (DA) officials and delegates from the European Union-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) recently convened to discuss potential cooperation initiatives. 

Among the areas of mutual interests that were identified during the May 24 meeting include agricultural development, economic growth, and foreign trades and investment opportunities. 

“Increased cooperation and foreign investments spell more jobs, higher incomes, better access to basic commodities, less inflation, and collaboration and partnership over confrontation. The more unbounded the flow of both, the stronger the momentum for economic prosperity and peace among nations,” said Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban. 

The talking points primarily drew attention to the high prices of sugar in the local market which needs to be addressed towards alleviating the food inflation in the country. DA-Surveillance, Monitoring, and Enforcement Group reports that the retail price of refined sugar in Metro Manila ranges between P86 to P110 per kilo as of May 24, while washed sugar is priced at P82 to P90 per kilo. Brown sugar, on the other hand, retails at P78 to P90. 

With the increasing sugar prices due to supply gaps, the DA-Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is intending to increase the sugarcane production of the country to 1.78 million metric tons and sugar importation volume to 440,000 metric tons. 

The DA-SRA is also looking into the possibility of adapting climate-resilient agricultural practices, further developing drought and wet season resistant sugarcane varieties, improving selected mills in Luzon, consolidating sugar farm sizes to 30 hectares, and mechanizing the local plantations towards increasing the productivity and profitability of the sugarcane industry of the country. 

The DA meanwhile affirmed the national government’s thrust to strengthen food security through engaging the Filipino youth in agriculture, reviewing the key commodity investment plans relative to the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), empowering the local agricultural laborers through equitable healthcare, and improving local food production. 

As a country that is vulnerable to natural disasters, the DA also implements certain measures to mitigate and address the potential impacts of climate change to the agri-fishery sector including the allotment of P1-B for its Quick Response Fund aside from continuously advocating for ecologically responsible agricultural practices by engaging in climate change mitigation forums and working closely with other stakeholders who partakes in climate and disaster resiliency programs. 

Moreover, the DA likewise shared its mission to generate climate-resilient livelihoods and communities by means of materializing the Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA) Program, the Philippine Fisheries and Coastal Resiliency (FishCoRe) Project, and the Mindanao Inclusive Agriculture Development Project (MIADP), to cite a few.

“European businesses are at the forefront of innovation and sustainable practices in agriculture, and today we stand ready to share these best practices and expertise to support the continued growth and advancement of the agriculture sector in the Philippines. By leveraging our expertise in agribusiness management, sustainable farming techniques, and market access, we hope to uplift the livelihoods of Filipino farmers and contribute to poverty reduction in rural areas,” said EU-ABC Vice Chairman Tassilo Brinzer.

“The efforts of this administration, in particular what President Marcos Jr. is doing by traveling around the globe inviting investors to come to the Philippines, are slowly picking up. The Philippines is now on the map and I think that this is a new era, a golden age for investments into the Philippines. We are very much optimistic that we will see more European companies coming here, supporting your efforts, and maybe reckon trying to work with you to bring the agriculture in this country to the next level,” ECCP Executive Director Florian Gotten added, expressing delight in the foreseen growth potential of the Philippines. (PIA-NCR)