Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. is banking on science and innovation to drive higher farm productivity, reduce dependence on imports and empower smallholder farmers.
Speaking at the June 26 inauguration of the newly-rehabilitated tissue culture laboratory and biocontrol agents’ facility at the Bureau of Plant Industry’s (BPI) National Crop Research, Development, and Production Support Center in Los Baños, Tiu Laurel called the upgrades “a solid step toward long-term food security.”
“First and foremost, this will help provide our farmers with free, high-quality, and disease-free planting materials, Although I find the facility a bit small, I’ll find a way to increase its budget for expansion by 2026,” he said.
The upgraded laboratory now supports mass propagation of banana, ube, garlic, white potato and other high-value crops using disease-free cultures.
It aims to boost farm yields and ensure a stable supply chain through the distribution of healthy planting materials to local farmers.
Tiu Laurel also cited the urgency of cutting the country’s import dependency, particularly for garlic and ginger, 95 percent of which is currently imported.
“Even halving that importation would be a major win, Ube is something we can proudly call our own. When it comes to ube-based products, I think we’re among the best in the world,” he said.
The upgraded biocontrol agents’ facility, funded by the Bureau of Agricultural Research (BAR), will enhance pest and disease management using natural methods, helping promote chemical-free and climate-resilient farming practices.
The DA also opened a Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlet at the center, where they monitored the sale of rice at P20 per kilogram.
