Agri chief warns 'triple shock' straining global food supply

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has warned that a “triple shock” of climate change, disease outbreaks, and geopolitical tensions is straining global food supply and making agriculture harder to manage.

Speaking at a post-ministerial workshop last week, Tiu Laurel said the sector is being hit by multiple pressures at once, including recurring El Niño and La Niña cycles, compounded by diseases such as African swine fever (ASF) and avian influenza.

He also cited geopolitical tensions, including the war in Ukraine, and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have disrupted supply chains and led to periodic export restrictions on key commodities.

“I guess we started on a negative note. In a sense, we are in the Wild West at this moment… I think it’s also the worst time to be the secretary of agriculture,” he said in a statement released by the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“As a businessman before, this is kind of normal… Sometimes exports are cut, there is ASF here, bird flu there, and supply chains are disrupted. So I kind of see this as normal, but a little bit extreme this time,” he added.

Tiu Laurel said the government will continue managing risks, noting that improving production efficiency remains the biggest challenge, particularly due to high costs driven by infrastructure and logistics gaps.

“What we have to tackle is the high cost of producing products, which would involve infrastructure and logistics,” he said, adding that cost competitiveness remains a key constraint in strengthening domestic supply stability and export potential.

The country’s agriculture sector produced P1.771 trillion worth of goods in 2025, the highest level in five years, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).—MCG, GMA News