Farming, fishing allowed amid Luzon-wide quarantine, says gov't task force

The Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Disease (IATF) has exempted farmers and fishermen from the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.

In its Resolution No. 15 dated March 24, the IATF said it has approved the Department of Agriculture’s recommendation to “allow farming and fishing activities to continue.”

The inter-agency body also exempted “healthy” farmers, farm workers, fishers, and agri-business from quarantine.

The exemption, however, is subject to implementation of skeletal workforce and social distancing measures.

The IATF also allowed agricultural stores or outlets and veterinary clinics to operate.

It also reiterated that movement of all supplies for agriculture, including food packaging and manufacturing should be unhampered.

The local price coordination council to strengthen price monitoring and enforcement was also reactivated.

The IATF also approved the upscaling of the department's KADIWA ni Ani at Kita in support for food availability, accessibility and price stability.

Kadiwa is a market system which sells major agricultural goods at reasonably low prices to help poor Filipino households.

The inter-agency body, likewise, approved the support for the DA’s Ahon Lahat, Pagkain, Sapat (ALPAS) Kontra COVID-19 program. —LDF, GMA News