By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
As part of the Department of Agriculture’s (D.A.) push towards better management of domestic meat and poultry sectors, Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. has issued Special Order No. 599 on Monday, April 21.
This measure reconstitutes the Inter-Agency Livestock Data Analytics Group (LDAG), which aims to ensure market stability and protect both producers and consumers amid price volatility and supply fluctuations.
In close collaboration with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the LDAG will identify key data requirements gathered from various agencies, particularly focusing on livestock and poultry production, inventory levels, farmgate prices, cold storage stocks, and production costs.
Results gathered from the PSA and LDAG’s joint efforts will be used in generating regular reports such as the Livestock and Poultry Situationer, which will provide an insight into the overall condition of the pork, chicken, egg, and dairy sectors.
Such reports would contain a plethora of information pertaining to trends in market prices and the supply-and-demand situation to better understand the effectiveness of D.A.’s initiatives geared towards regulating market prices of food products amid inflationary pressures.
Under the new structure, Undersecretary for Livestock Dante Palabrica has been appointed as LDAG chairman.
The group’s primary role is to streamline the collection, analysis, and reporting of key livestock and poultry data to improve planning, forecasting, and policy formulation.
“We need up-to-date data on market trends and behavior to ensure that the policies we formulate and the actions we take safeguard and promote the growth of the industry—even as we protect consumers,” Secretary Tiu-Laurel said.
“The market is dynamic, hence the need for better and more reliable information for accurate forecasts and timely decisions.” the Agriculture chief added.
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