April 22, 2024

Philippines' Department of Agriculture plans doubling budget for farm infrastructures in 2025

The Philippines' Department of Agriculture (DA) has announced its intention to prioritise the construction of farm infrastructures in 2025 to benefit a larger number of farmers and fishermen, Philippine News Agency reported.

The country's Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr said that they intend to propose a budget of approximately PHP 513.81 billion (US$8.9 billion), more than doubling the current budget of PHP 208.58 billion (US$3.6 billion).

The DA aims to allocate PHP 287.98 billion (US$5 billion) for its attached corporations, such as the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), National Food Authority (NFA), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), and the National Dairy Authority (NDA). Additionally, around PHP 225.83 billion (US$3.9 billion) will be requested for modernisation efforts and the crackdown on agricultural smuggling by DA's bureaus.

The fisheries subsector is allocated PHP 50.6 billion (US$879 million), locally funded projects PHP 45.48 billion (US$790 million), the rice subsector will receive 167.6 billion (US$2.9 billion), and the remaining funds for other subsectors including high-value crops, livestock, corn, and credit programmes, among others.

Out of the DA's approved budget for the current year, PHP 114.28 billion (US$1.9 billion) is designated for the agency itself, while PHP 94.30 billion (US$1.6 billion) is earmarked for its eight attached agencies.

Laurel emphasised the need for PHP 93 billion (US$1.6 billion) to improve post-harvest facilities alone, which could significantly reduce corn wastage in the country. Currently, about 12% to 15% of local rice production is wasted due to insufficient post-harvest facilities, according to the DA.

-      Philippine News Agency