The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking a PHP198.45-billion budget for 2027 to sustain food production, protect farm incomes and strengthen national food security despite a lower allocation this year.

The proposed budget is PHP17.25 billion, or 8 percent, lower than the PHP215.69 billion approved for the DA in 2026.

Officials attributed the reduction mainly to the normalization of funding for farm-to-market roads, which fell to PHP16 billion from last year’s peak of PHP33 billion.

The proposed 2027 allocation is also significantly lower than the PHP260 billion the DA initially submitted to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Including the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the broader agriculture and agrarian reform budget would decline to PHP261.74 billion from PHP297.10 billion.

The NIA accounts for much of the reduction, with its proposed funding falling to PHP46.36 billion from PHP63.25 billion. DAR’s allocation would also decrease to PHP16.94 billion from PHP18.16 billion.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the reduced allocation must still address structural challenges facing the sector, including high production costs, changing weather patterns, climate risks and market uncertainty.

“This is not simply an investment in agriculture. It is an investment in food security,” he said in a statement Tuesday.

Higher allocations for coffee development, projects under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and a PHP20-billion increase for animal industry development and competitiveness would partly offset reductions in funding for attached agencies and digitalization.

Meanwhile, the PHP10-billion allocation for the Rice-for-All program, which supports the PHP20-per-kilogram rice initiative, remains unchanged.

The DA will prioritize farm and fishery productivity, infrastructure improvement, post-harvest loss reduction, logistics and technology adoption to help farmers and fisherfolk secure a larger share of the value chain.

Tiu Laurel said that with fewer resources available, efficient implementation and accountability would be crucial to keeping agricultural production profitable for producers while ensuring food remains affordable for consumers. (PNA)