Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. on Sunday said he will again meet officials of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) to ensure that shipping companies strictly adhere to a law that prioritizes the transport of agricultural products to reduce waste, improve farmers' income, and ensure food security.

The planned meeting between DA and PPA was spurred by complaints by highland vegetable farmers and traders on the transport of agricultural products, both by land and sea, during their town hall meeting with Secretary Tiu Laurel at Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center (BAPTC)

The DA chief met PPA general manager Jay Santiago last week to forge a partnership in support of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.'s initiatives to increase food production and modernize agriculture. The meeting was held before Secretary Tiu Laurel traveled to Baguio City on Friday to meet with vegetable farmers and other stakeholders in the Cordillera region.

The Agriculture chief told farmers that the PPA has pointed out a law that that requires shipping companies to reserve at least 25 percent of their cargo space to transport agricultural food products. He said agricultural freight rates should also be at a discounted rate to keep food prices affordable.

“We will monitor this to ensure that they are strictly implemented,” Secretary Tiu Laurel said. “We will again meet with PPA GM Jay (Santiago) on how to effectively implement these,” he added.

In an earlier statement, Santiago said the meeting with DA is envisioned to create “the best port and agricultural infrastructure to develop efficient logistics and speed up the delivery and distribution of products through mechanization and modernization."