THE Philippines and France will expand cooperation in farm trade, research, food safety, animal health and climate-resilient agriculture, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said Thursday.
Both sides signed a work plan for importing French table and seed potatoes at bilateral meetings in Paris held Sept. 23 to 24. They also identified dairy development, organic agriculture, development financing and geographical indications — product names linked to their place of origin — as priorities.
Assistant Secretary for Policy and Regulations Paz Benavidez II led the Philippine delegation to the fourth Philippines-France Joint Steering Committee on Agriculture and the third bilateral agricultural forum.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the partnership could bring technology, expertise and investments to improve farm productivity and strengthen the country’s food systems.
The Bureau of Agricultural Research discussed joint research with France’s Directorate General for Education and Research, highlighting Philippine initiatives on regenerative and resilient agriculture and Punla Pilipinas, a proposed national system for producing and distributing clean, high-quality planting materials.
Talks with the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development covered joint research, graduate education and scientific exchanges in mango and banana production, aquaculture, climate resilience and sustainable farming.
The Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards explored cooperation on certification, labeling, traceability and compliance with standards to help Philippine organic products meet European Union requirements and enter the French market.
Animal health discussions covered bird flu, African swine fever, lumpy skin disease and trade requirements. France also indicated support for training Philippine veterinary personnel in biosecurity, disease control, border checks and risk-based inspection.
At the agricultural forum, France presented its equipment cooperative model, which allows farmers to jointly acquire and use machinery. The approach could help improve Philippine farmers’ access to equipment through shared ownership and investment.
The forum also tackled machinery standards and postharvest operations, including grain storage, drying and feed production.
Technical discussions will continue to develop concrete projects aligned with Philippine agricultural priorities.
Philippine agricultural imports from France totaled $12.73 million in August, led by meat and edible meat offal at $4.24 million, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
