The Department of Agriculture (DA) intends to increase funding by about twofold in the upcoming year in order to increase the incomes of farmers and fishermen, modernize farms, and enhance food security.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. announced in a statement that they would recommend a budget of around PHP513.81 billion, which is more than twice as much as the existing PHP208.58 billion.
During a meeting with various agricultural groups, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. sought support from the private sectors to be able to build more farm infrastructure, including irrigation and postharvest facilities, with the funding.
Going into the details of the new budget
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), National Food Authority (NFA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), and National Dairy Authority (NDA) are among the attached corporations for which the DA intends to request PHP287.98 billion.
On the other hand, the DA's bureaus would seek approximately PHP225.83 billion for modernization and agricultural smuggling countermeasures.
Approximately 57% of PHP294.21 billion, or the majority of the intended expenditure, will go toward the rice subsector.
The fisheries subsector, with PHP50.6 billion, will come next, followed by locally sponsored projects, with PHP45.48 billion, and any residual funds that are proposed for use in other subsectors, such as high-value crops, livestock, corn, and credit programs, among others.
Comparing it this year’s budget
This year, the DA's approved budget is PHP114.28 billion for the agency itself and PHP94.30 for its eight affiliated agencies.
Prior to the budget proposal, Laurel stated that the DA needs to raise PHP93 billion just to upgrade post-harvest facilities, which would reduce the nation's waste of rice and corn.
The DA estimates that the absence of post-harvest facilities has resulted in the wastage of 12 to 15 percent of the region's rice crop to date.
