The Department of Agriculture (DA) has set a year-end deadline for the registration of warehouses and other facilities storing agricultural and fishery commodities, a move aimed at securing more accurate supply chain information, and in curbing smuggling, hoarding, and other market abuses.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered DA officials to prepare a public notice on the deadline and ensure it is widely disseminated so that potential registrants are properly informed and can complete their registration by December 31.
The registration is being carried out through the Registry System for Agri Storage (RSAS), a centralized platform intended to give the government a clearer picture of where agricultural commodities are stored and how much inventory is being held.
“We have to strictly follow the law,” said Tiu Laurel during a recent meeting with DA officials, as he pressed for a determined registration drive.
He also sought an updated count of registered facilities and their compliance rate for the DA to get a better handle on the volumetric of imported agricultural and fishery commodities, particularly rice.
The registry is mandated under Republic Act No. 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act, signed into law on Sept. 26, 2024 and effective Oct. 16, 2024. The law replaced the 2016 Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act and expanded the government’s framework for prosecuting agricultural smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, and cartel activities.
The law was passed to prevent practices that distort prices, create artificial shortages, and disrupt the supply of agricultural and fishery products, while protecting farmers, fisherfolk, legitimate businesses, and consumers.
Under Section 6, storage facility operators must register their warehouses, cold-storage facilities, and other properties used for agricultural and fishery commodities and keep complete and accurate records for at least five years.
DA Memorandum Circular No. 3, Series of 2026, signed Feb. 2, provides the implementing guidelines. The RSAS is now operational, according to DA officials.
Registration, however, is separate from certification or inspection. The department is also working on a 2027 nationwide inspection schedule, with regions assigned specific periods to spread the workload amid limited personnel.
The push comes as the DA seeks to turn warehouse registration into a practical enforcement and monitoring tool.
By mapping storage facilities and inventories, the department expects to improve traceability and spot supply movements that could signal smuggling, hoarding, or other practices that threaten food security and the domestic market. ### (By DA – OSEC Comms)
