The Department of Agriculture (DA) has assured that measures are in place to help cushion the impacts of faster food inflation and surging oil prices.

The assurance was made after the headline inflation accelerated to 4.1 percent in March from 2.4 percent in February, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Food inflation, likewise, jumped to 2.8 percent from 1.6 percent for the same period, with rice soaring to 3.6 percent after a series of deflation.

In a statement, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. assured that measures are in place to protect Filipino farmers, fishers, and consumers.

“To protect our farmers and fisherfolk from rising costs, and to keep food accessible for all Filipinos, we are combining financial assistance with securing essential inputs like fertilizers,” Tiu Laurel said.

Among the immediate interventions are the release of financial aid, fuel subsidies, and farm inputs for affected farmers and fishers.

The DA is also ramping up efforts to expedite the delivery and turnover of agricultural infrastructures, including farm-to-market roads, rice processing systems, and post-harvest facilities.

“These steps will lower production costs, improve market access, stabilize supply, boost farmers’ incomes, and ensure farmers and fisherfolk can sustainably meet demand even under challenging conditions,” Tiu Laurel said.

Earlier, the DA said it would utilize its PHP1 billion quick response fund (QRF) for the fuel subsidy and procurement of biofertilizer.

It also announced the release of PHP10 billion under the Presidential Assistance for Farmers and Fishers (PAFF) to about 4.175 million registered Filipino farmers and fishers, amounting to PHP2,325 per beneficiary.

The DA also has a P150-million approved budget for its fuel subsidy program for registered farmers and fishers, providing fuel aid of P5,000 and P3,000, respectively, per eligible beneficiary.

The agency is also planning to tap almost P100 million in unused fuel subsidy funds from 2023 to 2025 to expand the coverage.

The Planters Products Inc. (PPI) and the Fertilizers and Pesticides Authority (FPA) are also intensifying efforts to secure sources of cheaper fertilizers and alternatives and sustain local production.

For logistics, the DA mobilized trucks to Benguet to aid vegetable producers in delivering their goods to the market.

For its part, the Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) is helping local onion growers through market linkages and ensuring onion procurement at a fair price amid harvest.

Tiu Laurel also assured of measures to ease the burdens on consumers, such as the expansion of the Benteng Bigas Meron Na (BBM Na) initiative and the Kadiwa ng Pangulo sites.

The Kadiwa ng Pangulo is one of the flagship programs of the Marcos administration to address rising food prices.

It provides farmers, fisherfolk, and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with venues to directly sell their produce and facilitates market linkages, removing unnecessary layers in the trading cycle.PNA