A worker carries sacks of sugar at a retail store in Marikina City on Tuesday, May 16, 2023. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved an additional 150,000 mt of sugar imports on Tuesday, May 16, 2023, to stabilize and support prices. the supply of the nation. PHOTO OF JOHN ORVEN VERDOTE The Food and Agriculture Organization said the Philippines had not reached qualifications in rice, onions, chicken and other commodities such as corn, coffee, garlic, peanuts and mongo. However, the FAO said in its Rapid Assessment of Philippine Agri-Food Systems that the country has a surplus of bananas, pineapple, mangoes, shrimp and prawns and crab that are ideal for export. The Philippines Statistical Institute said that the estimated production of paw for January-March this year may have increased to 4.80 million metric tons, or 5.7%, above the actual forecast of 4.54 million MT for the same period last year. In the fourth quarter of 2022, onion production is estimated at 10.58 thousand mt, up 23.3 percent from 8.58 thousand mt in the same quarter of 2021. Total chicken production in 2022 was 1.87 million MT, marking an annual growth rate of 7.0 percent from 1.74 million MT the previous year. news delivered for The Manila Times' daily s By with an email address, I confirm that I have read and accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Corn production in the first quarter of 2023 also increased to 2,560 million mt, or 4.9% from 2.44 million mt in the same period of 2022. It was also stated that food prices have increased in the evaluation. He specifically noted that between 2019 and 2022 the retail price of chicken meat increased by about P50 per kilo. Onion retail prices followed a seasonal course and peaked in the fourth quarter of the year. The price of red onions in 2022 in the National Capital Territory reached up to P700 per kilo in December. FAO also said that natural disasters and climate change affect the country's agricultural production. "In the last five years, typhoons and other meteorological disasters such as extreme temperatures and storms have cumulatively caused £125.36 billion in damage, representing 82.99% of the total damage and losses to agriculture and fisheries." The Philippines ranked first in the 2022 World Risk Index and 17th in the 2021 Global Climate Risk Index. FAO recorded an alarming increase in outbreaks of animal and plant pests and diseases such as bird flu and swine in 2017. Fire and autumn caterpillar in 2019. "These contributed to losses of P1.94 billion cumulatively from biological disasters," he said. In terms of food quality, the FAO said more than 75.2 million Filipinos in 2020 would not be able to afford it due to the rising costs of eating healthy. The 2022 State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World states that the average cost of safe food and the nutritious foods that make up a healthy diet is US$4.1 per person per day in the Philippines. With rising food costs and falling incomes, more Filipinos may find healthy eating unaffordable. "The most common strategy for dealing with food shortages or money to buy food is to eat lower quality food," the FAO said. or borrow food. He said that in 2022, the Philippines ranked 67th out of 113 countries on the Global Food Security Index . The GFSI showed the Philippines' overall food safety score of 59.3. The country scored 71.5 in food affordability, 55.2 in availability and 65.3 in quality and safety. The country was worst in the "Sustainability and Adaptation" area, where it scored 41.8 due to risks of exposure to agricultural water resources, land degradation and threats to marine biodiversity. Gotopnews.com