HARVEST SEASON: A combine harvester reaps ripened palay at a rice field in Guimba town in Nueva Ecija province as the harvest season started this month of March. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the farmgate price of palay (dry) on the national level was recorded at P22.47 per kilo in February 2026. —File photo by Grig C. Montegrande | INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines — Agricultural provisions have emerged as the main sticking point in the Philippines’ ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the European Union (EU) and Chile, although the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) remains hopeful of concluding both deals before the Asean Summit in November.
In an interview with reporters, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said Philippine and EU negotiators failed to reach an agreement during the seventh round of talks in Brussels from June 29 to July 3.
READ: Revised PH-Japan free trade deal seen by November
Article continues after this advertisement
