The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking a budget of P198.45 billion for 2027 amid ongoing initiatives to advance the country’s farm sector.
On Tuesday, the DA said in a statement the proposed allocation is 8 percent lower than this year’s approved budget of P215.69 billion.
It is also significantly lower than the initially proposed budget of P260 billion submitted to the Department of Budget and Management for 2027.
The agency primarily attributed the reduced budget to the normalization of the farm-to-market road budget, noting that funding for FMR projects will revert to P16 billion in 2027 after doubling to P33 billion this year.
Higher allocations for programs, including coffee development, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources’ projects and P20 billion for animal industry development and competitiveness partially offset reductions in other programs, such as support for attached agencies and digitalization.
The government has kept the budget for the Rice-for-All program, which supports the P20-per-kilogram subsidized rice initiative, at P10 billion.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the reduced funding must still address a sector grappling with high production costs, changing weather patterns, climate risks and market uncertainty.
‘This is not simply an investment in agriculture. It is an investment in food security,’ Tiu Laurel said during a budget hearing at the House of Representatives.
Tiu Laurel assured lawmakers that the DA will use its budget allocation efficiently, carefully, effectively, and with full accountability.
Despite lower funding, the DA will prioritize programs aimed at bolstering agricultural production, improving infrastructure, reducing postharvest losses, strengthening logistics and market access, and expanding the use of technology.