The Philippines and Israel have discussed advancing both countries’ cooperation in modern agriculture and food security and further strengthen bilateral trade.

This during a recent meeting between Ambassador to Israel Pedro “Junie” Laylo, Jr. And Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter.

At the outset, Dichter noted that President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. personally heading the Department of Agriculture (DA) signifies his keen focus on Philippines’ agriculture sector and food security.

Laylo emphasized that the entry of Philippine fruits to the Israeli market will help achieve the goal of $1 billion total bilateral trade by 2024.

Aside from fresh pineapples – which are now in the advanced stages of review by the Israel Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) – the Philippines also intends to offer mangoes and bananas to the Israeli market.

Dichter committed to provide updates on these applications soonest.

“The entry of high-quality Philippine fruits to Israel will not only allow Israelis to finally enjoy the best tasting pineapples in the world, it will also help lower their food grocery costs. It’s a win-win for both our countries.” the Ambassador noted.

Laylo enlisted the Agriculture ministry’s support in connecting Israeli agritech startups and Philippine firms for joint projects to modernize farming methods, increase crop yields, and solve recurrent production and supply issues.

He identified priority areas for investments and tech-sharing, such as precision irrigation, high-yield planting materials, dairy and milk production, enhancing the resistance of farms against climate change, and farmer training.

They discussed the establishment of an agri tech hub in the Philippines for the demonstration of Israeli agriculture technologies, funding for projects that address climate change and promote food security, and collaboration in upgrading DA’s seed-testing capabilities.

Laylo also shared his recent initiatives to enhance the Agrostudies Program, one of the key projects under Philippines-Israel agriculture.

The Ambassador invited Landbank and the Overseas Filipinos Bank to extend to Agrostudies trainees and graduates low-interest loans to help finance their internships in Israel as well as fund their projects upon returning to the Philippines.

He invited Dichter to visit the Philippines.

Both sides will consider a possible meeting between President Marcos and Dichter at the upcoming 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.

Cooperation in agriculture and food security is a key pillar of Philippines-Israel ties.

As part of Laylo’s mission to expand channels of mutual prosperity between the two countries, the Embassy works closely with DA and private sector partners to export Israeli hi-tech expertise and innovation to help Filipino farmers modernize farming methods, increase production, and gain market access for their products.

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Cristina Lee-Pisco