THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) is gearing for the faster deployment of funds and materials to El Niño hot spots, Secretary Proceso Alcala said in a statement yesterday.
Apr 052016
Feb 092016
THE JOINT CIRCULAR on the safe handling of genetically modified (GM) crops, due for completion this month, is expected to address the concerns cited by the Supreme Court, which nullified the previous set of regulations from 2002, known as Administrative Orner (AO) No. 08, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.
Jan 282016
THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) said it will seek about P1 billion from Congress to build four upgraded multi-purpose fisheries vessels, just as it commenced with the construction of a class of two less-capable boats, which cost nearly P360 million.
Jul 152015
THE DEPARTMENT of Agriculture (DA) plans to meet with banana exporters this month to address the call to review tariffs imposed on the products shipped to Japan, the agency’s chief said yesterday.
Jun 022014
DISCUSSIONS with Department of Agriculture counterparts in South Korea have led to a wider partnership in livestock and grain trade, as well as technical assistance and investments, the DA said yesterday.
Apr 212014
MANILA, Philippines – The government has so far released a total of P5.21 billion for the agricultural component of the recovery and reconstruction program for areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda. The Department of Budget and Management turned over P1.05 billion to the Department of Agriculture to support various initiatives under the Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) program. The money will allow the DA to implement clearing and desilting operations in Yolanda-stricken regions, as well as provide farm tools, seeds, tractors, fertilizers, and farm machinery fuel subsidies to farmers in Regions IV-B (MIMAROPA), V (Bicol Region), VI (Western Visayas), VII (Central Visayas), and IX (Zamboanga Peninsula). “Although it’s been six months since Yolanda hit the country, several communities in the Visayas and Mindanao are still in the process of recovering from the devastation. Farmers were especially hard-hit, as the super typhoon laid waste to vast swaths of agricultural land,” DBM Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said. According to the DA, damages to the agriculture sector reached P31.1 billion as of March 2014. This includes production losses of P27.07 billion in crops, fisheries, and livestock, as well as infrastructure losses (including irrigation systems and facilities) of P4.06 billion. “We know that there is much work to be done, however, in restoring normalcy and economic stability in agricultural communities destroyed by Yolanda. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Through RAY (Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda) the administration can mobilize the necessary post-disaster aid to affected regions to complement our disaster preparation initiatives,” Read More …
Jan 242014
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Proceso Alcala and National Agribusiness Corp. (Nabcor) president Honesto Baniqued are facing plunder complaints for allegedly amassing billions of pesos in public money. In a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman Friday, Sanlakas party-list legal counsel Argee Guevarra accused Alcala and Baniqued of plunder, violating the Anti-Graft Law, malversation of public funds and violating the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. The complaint stemmed from allegedly anomalous transactions, unliquidated projects and procurements totalling P11.4 billion that the Commission on Audit noted in its 2012 audit of the department. The complaint enumerated the alleged anomalies: P5.8 billion in financial transactions for 2012 were without supporting vouchers until Mar. 31, 2013; of these a remaining substantial amount of P8.5 million was disbursed without, to this date disbursement vouchers (DVs) and journal entry vouchers. Disbursements worth P31.4 million that lacked the signatures of the approving authority. The amount of P53 million supposedly invested in a joint venture that has gone missing and is not reflected in the joint venture partner’s books. A total of P156 million that was supposedly disbursed but cannot be found in the documentation for Nabcor’s project funds. A consultant was “hired” for P10.3 million to “negotiate” with another government entity, PDIC, when this was not needed and the amount of P5.3 million was allegedly expended without the consultant rendering work. In a telephone interview with GMA News Online, Guevarra questioned the timing of most of Nabcor’s transactions Read More …
Aug 092013
Still denying his department’s alleged involvement in the supposed pork barrel scam, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala on Friday said he doesn’t personally know Janet Lim-Napoles, the businesswoman at the center of the issue. “Hindi ko po kilala ‘yan. Never ko pong nakilala siya, hindi ko po siya nakilala,” Alcala said in an interview on GMA News TV’s “News To Go” when asked if he knew Napoles. Napoles was accused of being the mastermind of a P10-billion pork barrel scam involving ghost projects allegedly used for kickbacks by lawmakers. Whistleblower Merlina Suñas earlier said the Department of Agriculture (DA) has been instrumental in the funneling of state funds to dummy organizations — an accusation Alcala ordered investigated. Alcala said agriculture officials who’ll be found guilty of involvement in the anomaly will be facing the full force of the law. “Ang bilin ko kung may tauhan na talagang nadawit o sinadya na palusutan ang ganitong bagay ay dapat na humanda siyang managot sa batas,” he said. In the same interview, Alcala reiterated that the DA initially refused to take projects funded by lawmakers through their pork barrel, or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), to avoid being dragged into controversies. “Buhat po noong ako ay ma-appoint from 2010 hanggang July of 2012 wala po ni isang PDAF na dumaan sa kagawaran kasi marami pong sabi-sabi na hindi po tama, hindi maganda ito kaya iniwas ko ang department kasi masyadong marami na pong problema ang department nang abutin ko. So two years po mahigit. Read More …
Jul 252013
AGRICULTURE Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said in an interview that he has already recommended a 20% provisional tariff on Turkish flour to the Tariff Commission.
Jul 192013
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Agriculture (DA) has temporarily banned the importation of wild birds, poultry and poultry products from South Africa because of an outbreak of low pathogenic avian (LPAI) influenza there. The ban issued on July 8, 2013 is meant to protect the health of the local poultry population and of consumers. In a memorandum, Agriculture Secretaray Proceso Alcala said the outbreak was confirmed by the Office Internationale Epizooties (OIE). Presence of LPA serotype H7N7 was seen in a commercial ostrich farm in Oudtshoorn, Western Cape Province. The LPAI virus was confirmed through real-time polymerase chain reaction conducted by the Agricultural Research Council-Ondersteproof veterinary Institute National Laboratory. Also covered by the ban are day-old chicks, eggs and semen from the Land of Lower Saxony. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 The government has suspended the processing and issuance of veterinary quarantine clearance for such products. All shipments of such commodities, with the exemption of heat treated products will shall be confiscated at major ports.