Non-rice allocations sought in infra-heavy DA proposed budget
By Adrian H. Halili, Reporter
THE infrastructure-heavy budget proposed by the Department of Agriculture (DA) for next year should accommodate crops other than rice, analysts said.
The DA is proposing a budget of P513.81 billion for 2025 to support the construction of new irrigation and postharvest facilities.
The DA said that the national rice program will get P294.21 billion of the proposed budget.
“It can be noted that even as the government resources are going to be spent on domestic rice production, they are also easing import procedures for the same products,” Ateneo de Manila economics professor Leonardo A. Lanzona said via messenger chat.
He added that the impact of the increased budget for post-harvest facilities for rice may be undone by imports.
“It would then be better to develop other products that are not going to be affected by the easier import regulations. It is better to keep those rice imports and place more support on other products,” he added.
The US Department of Agriculture has estimated that rice shipments will increase to 3.9 million metric tons (MT) this year, with the Philippines continuing to rely on imports.
The estimate, if realized, would exceed the 3.58 million MT actually imported in 2023.
As of April 18, rice imports have amounted to 1.42 million MT, according to the Bureau of Plant Industry.
“The government needs to invest in post-harvest and marketing facilities that will reduce losses and costs in storing, handling and transporting goods,” Federation of Free Farmers National Manager Raul Q. Montemayor said in a Viber message.
If approved, the budget would be more than double the DA budget of P208.58 billion in 2023.
“It does not make sense for the DA to support our farmers to produce more only to see their production wasted or farmers suffering low prices due to poor marketing infrastructure,” Mr. Montemayor added.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. has said that the DA would need about P93 billion over the next three years to significantly reduce post-harvest losses of about P10.7 billion.
Part of the DA’s plan to reduce food waste is to build more cold storage facilities to stockpile vegetables and high-value crops, with which it hopes to smooth out supply in periods of shortage or take excess produce off the market during bumper harvests.
“In developing reforms and programs, it is necessary to have complementary reforms in order to ensure their full impact,” Mr. Lanzona said.
The DA said its proposed expenditures for next year prioritize the National Irrigation Administration, National Food Authority, Philippine Coconut Authority, Philippine Fisheries Development Authority, and the National Dairy Authority, receiving a combined P287.98 billion.
