The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking approval of a P167.46-billion for next year, 6.15 percent higher than this year’s budget of P158.16 billion.
DA Senior Undersecretary Domingo Panganiban told a Congressional hearing yesterday investments related to rice and fisheries production account for bulk of the increases and include “increased budgetary outlays for various activities that support the sustainable production of high value crops and corn.”
The DA originally sought for P400 billion but the Department of Budget and Management only allotted P167 billion.
Mercedita Sombilla, DA undersecretary for policy, planning and regulations , said in her report among salient items in the agency’s proposed budget for next year include the P2.22- billion allocation for hog repopulation under the Integrated National Swine Production Initiatives for Recovery and Expansion Program; P9.55 billion for fertilizer assistance; P9.8 billion for hybrid seed assistance; P2.49 billion for the yellow corn production enhancement program; P2.75 billion for the agricultural credit program; and P1 billion for quick response fund.
Meanwhile, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said agriculture and food production appears to be less of a priority by the administration in the proposed national budget for next year.
KMP said in a statement even if the overall budget for agriculture and agrarian reform increased by 6 percent to P197.84 billion, the amount only covers 3.43 percent of the total P5.768 trillion national budget requested.
The group added said DA’s budget proposal is “very meager compared to the budget allocation for military spending, debt interest payments and infrastructure.”
It said agriculture is only in the eighth place of the national government’s priority sectors based on the national proposed budget. KMP also cited red flags identified by the Commission on Audit (COA) in its audit report on the DA for last year which mentioned the agency failed to distribute a total of 855,493 bags of rice seeds meant for farmers under the P10 billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund. The DA also failed to distribute 2,088 pieces of farm machinery, based on the COA report.
COA said the non-distribution of the seeds and equipment deprived the farmers of their needed assistance while the undistributed farm machinery includes 942 hand tractors, 599 floating tillers, 329 reapers, and 215 recirculating dryers.
COA also cited the National Irrigation Administration’s delays or termination of 83 projects covering three calendar years and amounting to a total of P1.2 billion.
The auditing body also flagged the DA for lapses in procurement of 8,845 bags of onion worth P140 million.
