The Department of Agriculture has formally established a Food Security Task Force to monitor and respond to disruptions in food supply, prices, and trade caused by the ongoing energy crisis and geopolitical tensions in key export markets.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the move replaces the agency’s previous ad hoc monitoring system with a more structured and data-driven approach.

The task force will produce daily reports on food supply conditions, which will be shared with Congress and the Office of the President to support faster decision-making.

“Since the conflict began, our operations were ad hoc. Now we are formalizing the task force to standardize and detail our reports, enabling quicker and more effective responses,” Tiu Laurel said.

The task force will focus on supply chain disruptions, particularly delays in shipping routes linked to the Middle East, which have affected Philippine exports such as bananas and pineapples.

These delays, the DA chief noted, have resulted in “opportunity losses,” forcing exporters to divert goods to alternative markets at lower prices.

To cushion the impact, the DA is coordinating with financial institutions, including the Land Bank of the Philippines, to assist affected exporters. The agency is also exploring new markets in Africa, Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia, despite logistical and competitive challenges.

Tiu Laurel emphasized that the initiative aims not only to secure food supply but also to protect both producers and consumers from sudden market shifts, ensuring stability in the country’s agricultural sector amid global uncertainty.