IN a consultative meeting with private agricultural groups, the Department of Agriculture (DA) presented a proposal that would more than double its expenditure plan for next year.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., eyes higher budget for 2025 amounting to more than P500 billion from the current budget of around P300 billion.
Laurel told participants of the consultative meeting that the budget proposal is still a work in progress.
However, the Agriculture Chief is asking for the help of some private sectors to build more farm infrastructure, including irrigation and post-harvest facilities.
He admits – there’s a severe lack of investment in agriculture for almost four decades, which has led to the declining contribution of agriculture to the gross domestic product or GDP.
With a larger budget, it will help the sector to further expand, and more assistance will be provided to farmers and fisherfolks.
Sec. Tiu Laurel earlier estimated that over the next few years, 93 billion pesos is needed for postharvest facilities to reduce rice and corn wastage.
While around 1.2 trillion pesos would be required to irrigate an additional 1.2 million hectares to boost rice production and reduce importation.
Under the preliminary expenditure numbers for 2025, a bulk of the budget increase will go to DA attached corporations including the National Irrigation Administration, National Food Authority, Philippine Coconut Authority, Philippine Fisheries Development Authority and the National Dairy Authority.
