January 07, 2024 | Manila Bulletin |
The Philippines Department of Agriculture aims to enhance market access during its upcoming meeting with the Japanese government in Q2 2024. The inaugural meeting of the Philippines-Japan Joint Committee on Agriculture will focus on creating more export opportunities for Filipino farmers and fisherfolk. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized the significance of this meeting, following discussions at the ASEAN-Japan Summit in December, where exporting Philippine fish and tropical fruits, including pineapple, bananas, avocado, mangoes, durian, mangosteen, and okra, was a key topic. The meeting in Japan will serve as a follow-up to the December discussions, addressing technical and project collaborations outlined in the memorandum of cooperation signed in February the previous year, as well as the MIDORI Cooperation Plan. The MIDORI plan, endorsed by the Philippines and other ASEAN members, seeks to foster cooperation projects using Japanese technology and knowledge sharing to establish robust and sustainable agriculture and food systems. In 2022, Japan imported a total of $87 billion worth of agricultural products, ranking fifth globally.