Manila, Jan. 28 -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday urged farmers and local government units (LGUs) to invest more in local livestock and crops to reduce the country's heavy reliance on food imports.

The agency made the call as the country's agricultural trade deficit remained high at around USD11 billion, or more than PHP650 billion.

In a statement, Agriculture Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro said the figure underscores structural gaps in domestic supply, even as demand continues to grow alongside population and income gains.

"The local market is enormous. That is exactly why importation is also large," he said. Navarro urged municipalities to spread investments across key commodities, including bananas, veg...