The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) recently convened to address anti-competitive practices impacting the agriculture sector.
The meeting focused on critical issues such as price fixing, abuse of dominant market positions, and the smuggling of agricultural products.
Both agencies agreed that these practices distort competition, harm local farmers and fisherfolk and result in higher prices for consumers.
Several key areas for collaboration include enhancing transparency by improving data sharing to better understand market dynamics and establishing a specialized task force dedicated to addressing anti-competitive issues across various agricultural sectors.
The agencies also agreed to focus on building stronger cases against violators of competition laws by bolstering evidence-gathering and prosecution efforts.
They emphasized the need for joint training programs and information sharing to strengthen enforcement capabilities.
To ensure adherence to competition rules, they committed to conducting field visits to monitor compliance and investigate potential infractions.