The Department of Agriculture (DA) sees an increase in exports of Philippine products to countries under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

Tisha Dela Rosa, DA Development Management Officer V, allayed fears of various agriculture groups on the ratification of RCEP, assuring them that the multilateral trade deal would benefit them.

“It (RCEP) is not something that we have to fear because it will not liberalize the [agriculture] sector more than what it is now,” Dela Rosa said during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.

“RCEP’s ratification should not be a cause for concern. Instead, we’d like to look at RCEP as a venue to increase our exports because there are concessions that could help our agriculture exporters,” she added partly in Filipino.

Dela Rosa noted that processed food products are among the agricultural items that could be exported to RCEP members.

“Processed food products have a big potential for export under RCEP. So, it could help generate jobs,” she said.

Agricultural stakeholders have raised concerns that while RCEP would give a boost to imported agricultural products, this could hurt local farmers and producers.

Under RCEP, only 14 agricultural commodities representing 33 tariff lines, will see lower tariff rates.

The figures account for 1.9 percent of total tariff lines and only $132 million or 0.8 percent of total agricultural imports.

CURRENTPH NEWS SERVICE