Gov’t to spend P35.9B on irrigation in 2012

MANILA, Philippines—The government is spending some P35.9 billion this year on irrigation systems and programs that would ensure adequate supply of crops and livestock amid efforts to attain self-sufficiency in food production.

According to the Department of Budget and Management, P24.5 billion has been allocated for the construction and rehabilitation of irrigation systems.

Projects that the amount will fund cover 214,055 hectares of farm land, which will benefit 142,767 households. This means a 27-percent increase from 112,349 households in 2011.

Also, about P11.4 billion was earmarked for various “Agri Pinoy” banner programs, which will result in a double-digit rise in funding for crops and livestock production.

The national rice program, which targets a 19.2 million metric ton-yield of rice this year, will get P4.3 billion or an increase of 43 percent from last year.

The high-value crops program will get P1.3 billion, 44 percent more than the 2011 allocation.

For a target of producing 2 MMT of hogs and 1.5MMT of poultry this year, the national livestock program will get P1 billion or 50 percent higher.

The national corn program, shooting for a 7.6-MMT harvest, will get P951 million or an increase of 96 percent from last year.

Also, the national fisheries program, aiming for a yield of 5.6 MMT of yield this year, will get P1.9 billion or 6 percent more than what had been allotted.

The Aquino administration has committed to spend more on various programs that would help the country achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2013.

Last September, agriculture ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and those of China, Japan and South Korea signed the Asean Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) agreement aimed at ensuring the long-term food security and livelihoods of the people in the East Asian region.

Under the agreement, the 13 countries commit to build up a reserve of 787,000 tons of rice—including 12,000 tons from the Philippines—in anticipation of instabilities in supply resulting from natural disasters and humanitarian emergency situations.

The 13 countries account for around two-thirds of global rice production and more than half of global rice exports.