The Philippines needs to invest at least P1.3 trillion over the next few years to boost rice production, reduce wastage of agricultural products, and ensure the country’s food security, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. said Tuesday.
Speaking to journalists in Malacanang after presenting his 3-year plan for agriculture to Cabinet members, Secretary Tiu Laurel said to irrigate 1.2 million of farm lands planted mainly to rice would require P1.2 trillion in capital spending.
“No major post-harvest facility was funded by government in the last 40 years. Puro maliliit, patingitingi which is actually irrelevant, useless. Sayang,” the agriculture secretary lamented. “We need really to fund these projects. But we must build bigger. We have three designs—small, medium and large, not mini,” he stressed.