THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is pushing to increase the export market for high-value crops with P10 billion in funding for next year.

Agriculture Undersecretary Cheryl Natividad-Caballero said during an interview with The Manila Times that they would maximize the current trade agreements with other countries.

"We have several market access and trade agreements with various countries and in the context of high-value crops, we'd like to optimize our ability to meet and supply the needed requirements," Caballero said.

The DA has trade cooperation deals for agricultural commodities with Vietnam, South Korea, Australia, Japan, China, and New Zealand, among others.

The official also noted that the ability of the country to produce and supply sustainably would depend on the volume of production, which is dependent on the quality of planting materials.

The high-value crops program of the DA focuses on managing the productivity of around 30 commodities and the export market access for these.

Caballero also identified crops that are nontraditional but have good market potential, such as purple yam or ube.

She said that they are in talks with a private sector group in France that expressed interest in the Philippine ube.

"[Ube] has the most potential because of its quality, its color, which is a natural colorant and it is also a natural binding agent for other ingredients."

Aside from the crop's potential for export, the official also noted the need to address the requirements for planting material such as the technology, farm practices, and postharvest that would support its development.

The Philippines currently exports high-value commodities such as coconut, bananas, pineapple, mangoes and durian.

To increase the number of crops available for export and meet the required demand, Caballero urged the government to increase funding for the High Value Crops Development Program to around P16 billion in 2025.

Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Marie Natividad Caballero answers questions from The Manila Times editor Conrad Cariño and reporter Janine Alexis Miguel during a TMT Newsroom interview on July 4, 2024. PHOTOS BY MIKE DE JUAN

"Our wish list was around P10 billion but realistically, what we have now is around P2.4 billion for 2025. But to collaborate with other projects, that can be up to around P3.5 billion," said Caballero.

Agriculture chief Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has allotted P7 billion for crop diversification from the P20 billion in excess rice tariffs collected. The measure would enable farmers to venture into the production of high-value crops besides rice.

Under the fund, Caballero said they are looking to promote and cultivate mung beans, peanuts, and the integration of lowland vegetables such as string beans and eggplant.

The expansion for onion, garlic and ginger will also be integrated in some areas where the soil is most conducive.