The Department of Agriculture (DA) is poised to secure ₱2 billion in foreign financing next year to bolster infrastructure and boost domestic productivity. This initiative forms part of the agency’s broader strategy to improve support for farmers and small agricultural enterprises, particularly those affected by calamities over the next five years.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesman Arnel De Mesa announced the upcoming milestone, noting that the DA is close to finalizing a $1 billion foreign-assisted project with the World Bank.
In line with these efforts, the DA, in collaboration with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Planters Products Inc., officially launched the Agri-Puhunan at Pantawid (APP) Programin Guimba, Nueva Ecija, on Monday.
The APP program seeks to revolutionize the agriculture sector by providing rice farmers with financial and input support to enhance productivity and sustainability. Under the program, farmers will receive P28,000 in input credits per hectare and P32,000 in financial assistance, payable over four months at a low-interest rate of 2 percent.
Key partners in the program include the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), which will manage loans through Intervention Monitoring Cards; Planters Products, which will ensure access to affordable fertilizers and farm inputs; Philippine Crop Insurance Corp., which continues to offer insurance coverage for farmer-beneficiaries; and the National Irrigation Administration, which coordinates water releases to align with climate-resilient cropping schedules.
The National Food Authority (NFA) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will act as ready buyers of farmers’ harvests, with surplus sales to private traders helping farmers repay their loans.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., through DA Undersecretary Asis Perez, highlighted the program’s transformative potential during the inauguration. “This program addresses long-standing challenges in the agriculture sector—from access to affordable capital to climate resilience and guaranteed market access. It is a movement toward sustainable development,” said Tiu Laurel.
The APP initiative also supports the shift in the rice cropping calendar to mitigate the impacts of climate change and ensures that farmer-members of agricultural cooperatives across 1.2 million hectares benefit from affordable credit, crop insurance, and higher yields.
Once fully implemented, the program is expected to contribute significantly to food security, raise farmer incomes, and empower rural communities.
This dual-pronged approach of securing foreign financing and launching farmer-centered initiatives underscores the DA’s commitment to transforming Philippine agriculture into a sustainable and resilient sector.
