Agri agencies get P6-billion subsidies from DBM

FARMERS harvest and thresh palay on a farm in Rosales, Pangasinan province. WILLIE LOMIBAO/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON

Three agriculture agencies received around P6-billion worth of subsidies from the Department of Budget and Management.

In a statement on Thursday, the DBM said P4.25 billion was released to the National Food Authority for the implementation of their Food Security Program, which allows the NFA to buy ‘palay’ from farmers.

P1.09 billion, meanwhile, went to the Philippine Coconut Authority for the implementation of various locally-funded programs including coconut planting/ replanting, coconut fertilization, coconut intercroppping and smallholders oil palm plantation development.

The PCA was given P1.29 billion under the 2016 General Appropriation Act to support coconut farmers in major coconut-producing provinces and to facilitate the production of 2.11 metric tons of copra.

However, the DBM said that the release of P200 million balance for community/household level coconut processing and integrated pest management control, has been withheld due to low obligation levels for 2015 subsidies for these projects.

The National Irrigation Administration also received P797 million for the expansion of irrigation systems across the country, in addition to the P12 billion it received from the DBM last March 2 for the same purpose.

“The amount was released to NIA after the irrigation agency submitted the required programs of works and project profiles for projects not covered by the earlier fund release for Irrigation Network Services. Out of NIA’s total appropriation of P32.74 billion in the 2016 National budget, P20 billion has been released to date,” the DBM said in a statement.

Irrigation Network Services include extension and expansion of existing irrigation systems, repair, operation, and maintenance of pumping systems, repair of groundwater systems, irrigation management support services, rehabilitation of irrigation works damaged by Typhoon Yolanda, and climate change adaptation works.