The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking a higher budget with priorities focusing on diverse agricultural commodities starting next year.

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said they are eyeing an additional 10 percent of the department’s current PHP155.56 budget.

“So, we’re asking for at least 10 percent more than last year… Ang nilatag namin for next year is mas kaunti ang (What we have laid out for next year is a lower fund for) rice in general,” he said in a media interview on Monday.

He said it is time to “put emphasis” on other commodities like coconut, sugar, and high-value crops, among others.

“Well, we have to put priority on so many other agricultural sectors. As I said, everything is a priority. And medyo, for the last few years, sobrang laki na iyong nailagay natin sa rice or palay, na kailangan naman talaga (And somehow, for the last few years, we really placed a huge portion for rice and palay [unhusked rice], which was also needed),” Tiu Laurel said.

He, however, assured a separate and guaranteed PHP30 billion worth of tariff collections from imported rice for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

The amended Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) extended the implementation of the RCEF until 2031, with an increased funding of PHP30 billion per year from the previous PHP10 billion.

The DA earlier said of the PHP30 billion rice fund, around PHP15 billion is allocated for extension and training programs, financial assistance for rice farmers, credit, soil improvement, solar-powered irrigation systems, and water impounding projects, while PHP9 billion is for farm mechanization, and PHP6 billion for the provision of high-quality rice seeds.

Diverse programs

Although no initial figures for the proposed budget have been disclosed yet, Tiu Laurel cited target programs designed to boost local productivity.

For the coconut sector, he said the Marcos administration’s goal is to make the Philippines the top global coconut producer.

“From the original 25, dinoble namin (we have doubled it),” he said, with around 50 million new coconut trees targeted to be planted in 2026 and 100 million trees in 2028.

“Sa (In the) coconut industry for the next 5 to 10 years, medyo maganda ang world prices niyan (it has somehow good world prices) in general, and of course we want to be number one again.”

For 2025, at least 15 million coconut trees are targeted to be planted.

This will be on top of the 8.5 million trees planted last year.

Besides this, improving the soil health of the country’s sugar lands, with some now deemed “acidic,” is also being considered through an agri-lime project, alongside the enhancement of planting materials.

Improved planting materials, likewise, are eyed for the onion industry, as well as the target establishment of an Onion Research Center.

Overall, Tiu Laurel said the DA needs PHP500 billion a year to address all the challenges in the agriculture sector.

He, however, vowed to make the most out of the budget cap they were granted while diversifying resources in multiple agricultural commodities for the coming year. (PNA)