AGRICULTURE SECRETARY Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. asked the House of Representatives to approve the Department of Agriculture’s proposed P176.7-billion budget, outlining a 2026 program centered on boosting farmer prosperity and modernization.
Mr. Laurel said agriculture is constantly underfunded despite its importance to the economy, and framed the proposed budget as a critical investment in supporting food producers.
“The truth is plain to see: our farmers and fisherfolk remain among the most vulnerable,” Mr. Laurel said in remarks to the House committee on agriculture and food.
He said other elements of the program focus on providing irrigation, quality seed, fertilizer, and farming know-how; strengthening value chains through logistics, cold storage, and farm-to-market road investment; expanding market access via the Kadiwa ng Pangulo and Rice for All programs offering subsidized produce; and crop insurance, disaster preparedness, and accessible credit.
Around 10 million agriculture workers live in poverty, and enjoy limited access to technology, markets, and financing, he said.
“We will invest in our farmers and fisherfolk because they have invested their lives in us. Let’s build a future where the child of a farmer no longer dreams of leaving the farm — but of improving it. Where the next generation sees hope, not hardship, in the soil and the sea,” Mr. Laurel said. — Andre Christopher H. Alampay