The Marcos administration is seeking a higher allocation of P197.84 billion for the agriculture sector in 2024, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is set to begin hearings today on the P5.678-trillion national budget President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. has proposed to Congress for next year.
Under the 2024 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the Department of Agriculture (DA) and its various sub-programs will receive the proposed funding next year.
The DBM said the proposed budget represents a 6-percent increase from the current budget allocation of P186.54 billion.
“The Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AFF) sector, having witnessed a growth of 2.2 percent in 2023, accounted for 9.1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product in the first quarter of this year,” it said.
“Recognizing its significant contribution, the government is resolved to increase the AFF’s budget allocation for 2024 and thereby sustain its growth trajectory.”
First to face the House are members of the President’s economic team who comprise the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC).
They are Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, Finance Secretary Benjamin Diokno, National Economic and Development Authority Director General Arsenio Balisacan, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Gov. Eli Remolona.
The four are expected to brief congressmen on the state of the country’s economy and the macroeconomic assumptions used in putting together the proposed 2024 spending program.
Pangandaman said the 2024 budget plan would continue to support programs that boost the local production of major agricultural commodities, including rice, corn, and other high-value crops.
The 2024 NEP proposed the allotment of P30.9 billion for the National Rice Program; P10 billion for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF); P5.3 billion for the National Corn Program; P4.3 billion for the National Livestock Program; and P1.9 billion for the National High-Value Crops Development Program.
The Sugar Regulatory Administration, an attached agency of the DA, would receive P1 billion for its Sugarcane Industry Development Program.
The Marcos administration also sought the allocation of P9 billion for the National Food Authority’s Buffer Stocking Program to procure 473,684 metric tons of palay.
The Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. will also receive P4.5 billion for a program designed to safeguard farmers and fisherfolk from losses incurred due to natural disasters, crop diseases, and pest infestations.
The Agricultural Credit Policy Council will be granted P2.8 billion to roll out the Agro-Industry Modernization Credit and Financing Program, a flexible credit facility that would benefit farmers and fisherfolk who are registered in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture.
The DBM also noted the government’s strategic plan to improve the state of the country’s natural resources, saying the National Soil Health Program would get P916 million, along with the Department of Science and Technology’s National Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Sector Research and Development (R&D) Program collectively funded with P1 billion.
An allocation of P70 million would go to the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute’s Fisheries Biotechnology R&D Program, specifically the Hatchery Production Program (HatchPro).
“Expanding food systems and productivity to benefit the entire population, especially agricultural workers, requires investing in agricultural infrastructure,” the DBM said, adding that the DA’s Farm-to-Market Road Program would get P17.3 billion for the construction of 1,144.58 km. of roadways.
To combat water scarcity, the government earmarked P31.2 billion for the National Irrigation Administration for the development of 31,548 hectares of irrigated agricultural land, the DBM said.
The Local Water Utilities Administration’s Water Supply and Sanitation Program will be given P364 million for the provision of Level III potable water supply and proper sanitation systems.
“Additionally, they will support the implementation of sanitation projects in areas covered by the Manila Bay Continuing Mandamus,” the DBM said.
It said the National Fisheries Program would also get P6.9 billion to elevate the standard of agri-fishery practices, and product quality, as well as farmers’ and fisherfolk’s income.
The department added that the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority would receive an allocation of P4.9 billion for the construction, rehabilitation, and upgrade of fish ports nationwide.
It said an additional P211 million would be allocated to the Boosting Aquaculture Production Program to address a 10-percent target increase in local fish production and fill the supply deficit.