Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. urged the House Committee on Appropriations to approve his agency’s proposed P200.2 billion budget for 2025.
Tiu Laurel said in a hearing yesterday the proposed DA budget for next year aims to support a comprehensive investment plan designed to enhance farm productivity, bolster the country’s food security and lift millions of farmers and fisherfolk out of poverty.
The amount is 4 percent lower than the P208.58 billion allocated budget to the DA this year.
This year’s budget is designed to also fund agricultural modernization, boost productivity, enhance global competitiveness apart from improving resilience against disasters, climate change and pandemics.
“For the past three decades, our agri-fishery sector has faced persistent challenges with low productivity and competitiveness,” said Tiu Laurel, at the House hearing.
Tiu Laurel said high production costs and years of underinvestment in critical infrastructure and technology have severely limited the sector’s potential which led to rural poverty and concerns about national food and nutrition security.
Tiu Laurel highlighted the urgent need for increased investments to build resilience in agriculture and fisheries amidst climate change, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority that showed timely interventions, especially in preparation for El Niño, have mitigated damage to crops and supported the poultry and fisheries subsectors in offsetting losses in rice and corn.
“The COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions have further exposed vulnerabilities in our food production and distribution systems,” Tiu Laurel said.
