Heroes Hall, Malacañan Palace
May 8, 2024
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. convenes with the key officials of the Private Sector Advisory Council-Agriculture Sector Group (PSAC-ASG) for their 6th meeting at the Heroes Hall in Malacañan Palace on May 8, 2024.
The agenda items include updates on the status of PSAC recommendations; critical issues confronting the country’s key agricultural industries: coconut, sugar and tobacco; recommendations to further improve and institutionalize ease of doing business, especially for first-time agricultural exports; and other matters.
For the coconut industry, the PSAC-ASG recommends the acceleration of the coconut replanting initiative, aiming to plant 100 million trees to ensure the Philippines maintains its position as one of the global leaders in coconut production. This target is also perceived to support the country’s salt farmers since it serves as a steady source of fertilizer for the coconut industry. The Group also recommends the gradual implementation of biodiesel using coconut methyl ester (CME) by transitioning from B2 to B5 over the next three (3) years which can help the country to gradually decrease its dependency on foreign diesel. This would also provide an environmental friendly option to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80% compared to traditional diesel.
The PSAC-ASG reports that the country’s raw sugar production remains at a historic low due to low farm yields and hectarage. While there is still an ample supply of sugar this year, thanks to the importations in 2022 and 2023, they recommend to import at least 185,000 metric tons (MT) of refined sugar or 200,000 MT of raw sugar equivalent for the country to sustain its supply and generate a buffer stock, especially during the off-harvest and post-milling seasons. They also suggest to explore an enhanced import plan for raw sugar to revive United States (US) exports and to review the Sugarcane Industry Development Act (SIDA) to facilitate long-term yield improvements.
Meanwhile, the tobacco industry continues to experience a gradual slump in demand due to the popularity of ‘nicotine-free’ vapes which affect 2.2 million Filipinos involved in the country’s tobacco industry. The Group urges the government to release funds as prescribed under Republic Act No. 4155 for the National Tobacco Administration’s (NTA) Sustained Tobacco Enhancement Program (STEP) and to impose stringent rules and sustained efforts against smugglers and retailers of smuggled tobacco and illicit vapor products.
Other recommendations by the PSAC-ASG include the establishment of a specialized inter-agency committee to identify and address challenges faced by micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) exporters, and to create a one-stop-shop for agricultural exporters to be housed within the Department of Agriculture (DA).
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