DA’s rice self-sufficiency timetable postponed again
THE Department of Agriculture (DA) has pushed back once more its rice selfsufficiency target to 2020, citing a lack of funding to support the program.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol said that the agency continues to see 21.67 million metric tons as the necessary production level to achieve self-sufficiency.
However, the timeline has again been pushed back, with Mr. Piñol’s aggressive budget proposals not gaining any traction.
Asked about the delay, Mr. Piñol said there are no funds for his proposals, which include the purchase of solar irrigation systems and the expanded use of hybrid rice varieties.
The DA’s budget is P46 billion this year.
Mr. Piñol sought a P70- billion budget for 2017, with the bulk of the funds going to boosting rice production. The proposal was rejected by the Department of Budget and Management, which cited the government’s low absorptive capacity.
“I need the extra funding by 2018, which is when the self- sufficiency program can start,” he added.
In the next two years, the department is seeking a budget of P400 billion to intensify food production efforts.
Of this, P50 billion will be proposed to be allotted next year to the agency’s new credit facility which consolidates all other credit programs. The rest will go towards boosting production across all subsectors, and attaining rice self-sufficiency.
For this year, the DA is targeting 19 million metric tons of palay output, a record if it materializes. —