A farmers’ group says the Department of Agriculture (DA) has yet to initiate a “serious” discussion to prepare local producers for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which it said may hurt their sector.
Raul Montemayor, national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers, said the DA must lead an “in-depth discussion” on how Filipino farmers can handle the effects of the RCEP, a mega-trade deal among 15 economies in the Asia Pacific region.
“Ang hinahanap sana namin mga bagong [What we’re looking at are new] strategies, approaches that we will try out so that we will improve our competitiveness in terms of being able to export more products and at the same time our defensive interests in protecting our vulnerable sectors,” Montemayor said during the first briefing of the Senate Special Oversight Committee on RCEP.
In response, DA Usec. Mercedita Agcaoili Sombilla said Montemayor’s concerns could be discussed in the department’s international trade committee. She also said organizations must be “more collaborative” and not just criticize the efforts of the department.
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