Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. and Argentina’s Ambassador to Manila Ricardo Luis Bocalandro met to discuss ways to strengthen agricultural cooperation and partnership between the two countries.
Tiu Laurel highlighted the Philippines’ interest in exporting mangoes to Argentina and using Argentine technology and machinery to improve local rice and corn production.
The Argentine envoy assured the agriculture chief that Argentina is ready to help the Philippines improve local agriculture and welcomes more shipments agricultural commodities from the Philippines, including mangoes.
The two officials also discussed trade and market access; technical cooperation projects, particularly on agricultural biotechnology, crop pest management, sugar, farm mechanization and digitalization; foot-and-mouth disease vaccines; and sustainable and value-added rice programs and fisheries.
Tiu Laurel thanked the Argentine diplomat for his country’s interest in Philippine agricultural products and its willingness to assist in modernizing local agriculture.
Argentine deputy chief of mission Leandro Waisman and head of the embassy’s economic and commercial section Ana Clara Pianezza accompanied Bocalandro.
They were joined by Department Foreign Affairs (DFA) director for South America Miguel Hornilla, and DA international affairs division chief Janet Garcia.
