DA wants P200 B annual budget

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking a P400-billion budget in the next two years.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said he would ask for a P200-billion budget next year or more than four times its current allocation, and another P200 billion for 2019.

“You cannot feed a horse with straws of hays and expect him to carry a heavy burden or run a fast race. Same with us, you cannot expect the DA to produce enough food for the country if we don’t have the budget to work on it,” Piñol said.

“What we are asking is just about one-third of the budget of DepEd (Department of Education) and less than half of the budget of the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways). Our current budget now is even smaller than the budget given to 4Ps,” he added.

The Agri chief, nevertheless, said the agency was on track to achieve rice self-sufficiency by 2019.

“Just give me money and a lot of things will happen. You want DA to produce food, give us the budget,” he said.

By 2019, palay (unhusked rice) production is targeted to reach 21.6 million metric tons (MT), making the country rice self-sufficient.

Bulk of the proposed budget will be allocated for rice production and loans while the remainder will be for post-harvest facilities and irrigation, among others.

Piñol said the government would have to improve rice productivity through the expansion of rice farmlands by at least one million hectares this year.

The DA has already targeted to expand hybrid rice area to 600,000 to 700,000 hectares next year and as much as one million by 2020 from the current 400,000 hectares.

With hybrid rice, farmers can harvest higher yield of nine to 10 metric tons  per hectare from the current four MT per hectare.

Aside from rice production, the DA will also focus on lending to farmers through the establishment of the Farmers and Fisherfolks Credit Union, which will consolidate the other loan programs under the Agricultural Credit Policy Council.

The DA will focus on credit facilitation, collection, financial management, as well as consolidate loan programs and funds to provide better service to the farmers.

Piñol said rice could be a potential export commodity of the Philippines in the future that would allow the country to compete in the global market.