The Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to more than double its budget next year to modernize farms, improve food security, and increase earnings for farmers and fisherfolk.

The DA is exploring a proposed expenditure program of P513.81 billion for 2025, a substantial jump from this year's budget of P208.58 billion. It noted, however, that this budget is still a work in progress and subject to revisions.

Given the amount, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. called for support from the private sector during a consultation with other agricultural groups.

This sought-after support would allow the DA to construct more farm infrastructure like irrigation and postharvest facilities.

Tiu Laurel stated that the lack of agriculture investments in the past four decades substantially decreased the sector’s contribution to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

According to him, millions of Filipinos who depend on agriculture financially struggle with their livelihoods.

“Over the next few years, P93 billion is needed for postharvest facilities to reduce rice and corn wastage while around P1.2 trillion would be required to irrigate an additional 1.2 million hectares to boost rice production and reduce importation,” the agri chief emphasized.

The proposed expenditure budget would be distributed to the DA’s attached corporations, like the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), the National Food Authority (NFA), the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority (PFDA), and the National Dairy Authority (NDA).

Each attached firm will have a preliminary fund of P287.98 billion, which is P193 billion higher than this year’s overall budget of P94.3 billion.

Meanwhile, the DA will double its expenditure plans from P114.28 billion to P225.83 billion to push through farm and fishery modernization, and food security, and strengthen the anti-smuggling efforts.

The rice subsector will then receive a proposed allocation of P294.21 billion, while the fisheries subsector will have an allotment of P50.6 billion.

The locally funded Agriculture sector projects will have a P45.48 billion proposed expenditure.

Other DA subsectors will also have an increased allocation. Tiu Laurel earmarked P34.5 billion for cross-cutting programs, P32 billion for high-value crops, P28.56 billion for livestock, P13.7 billion for foreign-assisted programs, P11.3 billion for corn, and P3.38 billion for the agriculture credit program.