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The Department of Agriculture set a year-end deadline for the registration of warehouses and other facilities storing agricultural and fishery commodities
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The registration is aimed at securing more accurate supply chain information, and in curbing smuggling, hoarding, and other market abuses
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It is being carried out through the Registry System for Agri Storage, a centralized platform intended to give the government a clearer picture of where agricultural commodities are stored and how much inventory is being held
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The registry is mandated under Republic Act No. 12022, or the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act
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The DA is also working on a 2027 nationwide inspection schedule for the facilities
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 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. The RSAS is now operational, according to DA officials.
“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 September 26, 2024 and effective October 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.
READ: DA orders registration of all logistics facilities handling agri goods
DA Memorandum Circular No. 3, Series of 2026, signed February 2, provides the implementing guidelines. The scope is wide, covering rice warehouses, onion cold storage, meat freezers, grain silos, refrigerated container vans, and agricultural storage tanks handling both locally-sourced and imported products. Facility operators must disclose storage capacity, commodities handled and inventory levels, maintain monthly operational records and submit quarterly electronic reports through the relevant trade regulatory agencies.
Separate certification
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 DA seeks to turn warehouse registration into a practical enforcement and monitoring tool.
By mapping storage facilities and inventories, DA expects to improve traceability and spot supply movements that could signal smuggling, hoarding, or other practices that threaten food security and the domestic market.
