Department of Agriculture Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban. (File photo)
MANILA – Officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and delegates of the European Union-ASEAN Business Council (EU-ABC) and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) recently met to discuss possible areas of cooperation.
In a statement Friday, the DA said the meeting which was attended by DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo F. Panganiban and officials from the EU-ABC and ECCP, was held last May 24 to identify mutual interests in agricultural development and trade and investments.
Among those discussed were the need to address the high prices of sugar in the local market.
The DA also highlighted the government's efforts toward food security which include the promotion of opportunities in agriculture among the Filipino youth, reviewing key commodity investment plans through the Philippine Rural Development Project (PRDP), promoting accessible and affordable healthcare for local agricultural laborers and their families and improving local food production and competitiveness.
Aside from this, the DA also cited the need to mitigate and address climate change's impact on the agri-fishery sector.
To address this, the agency earmarked PHP1 billion for its Quick Response Fund.
The DA is also developing climate-resilient crop varieties and advocating for eco-friendly agricultural practices.
The Department is also aiming to build climate-resilient livelihoods and communities through the implementation of 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), among many others.
“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,” Panganiban said.
During the meeting, EU-ABC Vice Chairman Tassilo Brinzer said European businesses are ready to share the best practices in agriculture and expertise in innovation to support the country's growth.
"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,” Brinzer said.
ECCP Executive Director Florian Gottein, for his part, commended President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s initiative to invite investors to come in the Philippines.
"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,” Gottein said. (PNA)
