PH Ambassador, Israel Agriculture Minister Discuss Entry of Philippine Fruits to Israel, Hi-Tech Farming for Philippines

Philippine Ambassador Pedro R. Laylo, Jr. meets Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter on 18 September 2023, at the Israel Ministry of Agriculture and Rural  Development campus in Ramat Gan (Photo from Tel-Aviv PE).

TEL AVIV 29 September 2023 – Philippine Ambassador to Israel Pedro “Junie” Laylo, Jr.  recently met with Israeli Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter to discuss advancing  Philippines-Israel cooperation in modern agriculture and food security. 

At the outset, Minister 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. 

Ambassador 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. Minister 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. 

Ambassador 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 also 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.  

Ambassador 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.  

The Ambassador also invited Minister Dichter to visit the Philippines. Both sides will  consider a possible meeting between President Marcos and Minister 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 Ambassador 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. END 

For more information, visit https://www.telavivpe.dfa.gov.ph, https://www.philippine-embassy.org.il, https://www.facebook.com/PHinIsrael/, or https://twitter.com/PHinIsrael