THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has formally asked the Department of Finance (DOF) to remove tariffs on agricultural inputs to help farmers cope with the spiraling cost of inputs such as fertilizer.

Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap made this pronouncement at the sidelines of a press briefing on the rice situation in the Philippines.

“We have already asked the Department of Finance to study the possibility of removing tariffs on agricultural inputs. That was one of the recommendations during the last food summit,” said Yap.

Among all the agricultural inputs that are slapped tariffs, farmers are heavily burdened as fertilizer costs, one of the  agricultural inputs that is slapped a certain duty, has risen in the world market due to the spiraling cost of oil.

Earlier, agriculture officials noted that the price of fertilizer has gone up by 68 percent to more than P1,300 for a 50-kilogram bag.

The removal of tariffs on agricultural inputs was one of the recommendations made by the Philippine Food Processors and Exporters Inc. (Philfoodex).

Philfoodex president Roberto Amores recommended that tariffs on agricultural inputs, as well as farm equipment, to be removed for 10 years to allow farmers to cope with the increase in production cost. 

EUROPEAN businessmen in the country are now actively helping local outsourcing and offshoring (O&O) firms land more contracts in Europe, as they believe the industry’s target of achieving a 10-percent share in global outsourcing revenues by 2010 will not be possible if the focus will remain solely in the US market.

DAVAO CITY—From stopping all further conversion of agriculture lands to monitoring the expenditures of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the pork barrel of Congress representatives, a nongovernment group said the Arroyo administration must implement drastic policy measures to tide itself over  the rice crisis and preserve its hold on power.

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has formally asked the Department of Finance (DOF) to remove tariffs on agricultural inputs to help farmers cope with the spiraling cost of inputs such as fertilizer.

THE auto industry posted a 10.3-percent sales growth in the first quarter of the year as the market continues to remain strong despite rising fuel and food prices that may affect the decision to buy vehicles.

THE World Bank (WB) is willing to extend financial support of as much as $850 million to $900 million to the Philippines every year, starting the bank’s 2008 fiscal year.

SEVERAL agreements for the sale of National Transmission Corp.’s (Transco)sub-transmission assets to (STAs) five electric cooperatives have finally been approved by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) after a long delay.

APPARENTLY heeding the call of experts, the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) are now mapping areas where cheaper and subsidized rice should be sold.

ACCORDING to the National Statistical Coordination Board, a Filipino family of five needs a monthly income of P6,274 to stay out of poverty—that’s P206 daily or P75,288 annually. For Metro Manila, where the cost of living is higher, a family of five needs P282 a day or P102,830 a year to keep out poverty.