The Department of Agriculture (DA) is seeking a P198.45-billion budget for 2027—P17.25 billion or 8 percent less than the P215.69 billion approved for 2026—even as it faces persistent pressures to secure food supply, boost farm incomes, and strengthen national food security.
The proposed figure is also far below the P260 billion the DA initially requested from the Department of Budget and Management. Including the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the total agriculture and agrarian reform budget drops to P261.74 billion from P297.10 billion. NIA’s allocation falls sharply to P46.36 billion from P63.25 billion, while DAR’s dips slightly to P16.94 billion from P18.16 billion.
The main DA budget shrinkage stems largely from the farm-to-market road fund, which returns to P16 billion after being doubled to P33 billion in 2026. Cuts to agency support and digitalization efforts are partially offset by higher funding for coffee development, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources projects, and a P20-billion allocation for animal industry growth. The P10-billion Rice-for-All program—supporting the P20-per-kilogram rice initiative—remains fully funded.
Before the House of Representatives, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized that the reduced budget must still address rising production costs, shifting weather patterns, climate risks, and market volatility. “This is not simply an investment in agriculture. It is an investment in food security,” he said.
Priorities under the tighter budget include lifting farm and fishery productivity, upgrading infrastructure, cutting post-harvest losses, improving market access, expanding technology use, and strengthening value chains so producers earn a fairer share. Secretary Tiu Laurel noted that effectiveness, not size, defines the budget’s success: “The real test of the budget is not its size but what it delivers.” He underscored every peso must be spent “wisely, carefully, efficiently, and with full accountability” amid the dual challenge of keeping food affordable and farming profitable. With less funding available, he stressed, efficiency and accountability will be critical to delivering results.
