By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
As part of the Marcos Jr. administration’s relentless efforts to bolster the domestic agriculture industry, the Department of Agriculture (D.A.) is actively engaging with allied nations of the Philippines to raise the bar in agri-fishery trade and technical cooperation.
In a high-level meeting between Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. and Canada’s Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Heath Macdonald in Manila on August 3, both agriculture ministers reaffirmed their commitment to the bilateral agricultural trade between both nations.
Both leaders hailed the long-standing partnership, underscored by a growing bilateral agri-fishery trade that reached a cumulative USD2.39 billion between 2020 and 2024. Secretary Tiu-Laurel Jr. highlighted the increasing trade momentum, with total agricultural trade rising from USD327 million in 2020 to a peak of USD568 million in 2022.
The Philippine agriculture czar said, noting that the country’s agri-fishery exports to Canada grew from USD109 million to USD148 million in 2024, “Canada remains a vital partner in supporting our vision for a more globally-competitive agriculture sector.”
Areas of mutual interest, such as high-value crops, African Swine Fever (ASF) response, food security, and free trade negotiations were also brought into focus in the discussions.
The talks concluded with the signing of a Joint Statement on Technical Collaboration between the Philippines’ Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). The agreement focuses on plant health, capacity building, scientific and regulatory advancement, and the exchange of innovations to boost productivity.
Also present during the meeting were Undersecretary Cheryl Marie Natividad-Caballero, Assistant Secretary Benjamin Aberece, Assistant Secretary Paz Benavidez II, and representatives from various D.A. offices.
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