Philippines’ agri secretary agrees to push for B5 but only for military and government agencies

In the Philippines, the agriculture secretary said he will push for 5% biodiesel blending, up from the current 2% mandate, in an effort to support coconut farmers who are suffering from low prices while also offsetting imports of fossil-based diesel. The increased mandate he is pushing for will only apply to government procurement including military and agencies, he said, due to fears that widespread B5 could increase inflation. There is concern that pushing for more biodiesel would negatively impact the price of fossil-based diesel.