DA targets 2019 agri growth of up to 3.5%

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is aiming for Philippine agricultural growth of as high as 3.5 percent in 2019 as it expects subsectors to bounce back.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said he expected the crops subsector to recover from the typhoons that hit the country in the third quarter with help from the Rice Competitive Enhancement Fund (RCEF) of the government’s rice tariffication program.