MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking more funds after its proposed budget for 2022 was cut to P91 billion from P231 billion.
According to Sec. William Dar, the agency is seeking additional funds due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Also, the allocation under the National Expenditure Program submitted to Congress was at the “same level” in previous years.
“We have been looking forward for a much bigger budget because that’s the only way we can jumpstart and unleash the potential of the agriculture sector. We said this is now the time because of the pandemic, the new normal that significant allocation must be made,” Dar told ANC’s Headstart on Tuesday.
“There is resiliency of the sector if you add more budget support that can be a boost to really looking at higher outcomes at the end of the day,” he added.
For Dar, the proposed budget for the agency and the P30 billion allocated to National Irrigation Administration is “just the barest minimum to sustain our response to COVID-19.”
The secretary noted that the country’s rice production in the first semester this year is the highest “in history.” Last year, the Philippines harvested 194 million metric tons.
“It’s showing that as you support the development of the commodities industry, the outcomes are phenomenal,” he said.
Meanwhile, next year’s cash assistance to rice farmers will depend on the excess tariff collected from the Rice Tarrification Law.(ABS-CBN News)
