Solons seek additional P5B in DAR's proposed 2021 budget for 'mega farms' project

Two House lawmakers on Monday suggested to augment by P3 billion to P5 billion the proposed P8.85 billion budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for next year for the implementation of its "mega farms" pilot project for agrarian reform beneficiaries.

During the House panel deliberations on the DAR proposed budget, Magsasaka party-list Representative Argel Cabatbat brought up the "mega farms" proposal of the department.

"Kailangan natin maibalik ito into consolidated farms para mabawi yung economies of scale at buhusan natin ng kumpletong tulong ang mga magsasaka. Ang programa namin ay mechanized, organized and subsidized farming," Cabatbat said.

"Kaya naman sana mapondohan natin ito. Ako, I would move to accommodate the increase in the budget of DAR in the amount of P5 billion para ma-accommodate ang pilot project na ito," he added.

According to DAR Undersecretary David Erro, the "mega farms" proposal is a concept wherein around 50 hectares of contiguous land will be developed into a specialized crops production and infused with all needed support services.

The proposal aims to organize agrarian reform beneficiaries in the area into a cooperative, he added.

Deputy Speaker Luis Raymund Villafuerte also supported the "mega farms" proposal of the DAR and called for an augmentation in their budget.

He pointed out that the DBM-approved budget of the agency is too small. In fact, only P741 million of which was allotted for the Agrarian Reform Beneficiary and Sustainability Program.

"Nagbigay sila sa amin ng proposal, ‘yung mega farms. Ako, sang-ayon ako diyan. ‘Yung concept nila sa mega farms is kino-consolidate ang mga farmland owned by the beneficiaries into 50 hectares para we will evolve them from subsistence farming to commercial farming," Villafuerte said.

"So I would like to put on record and I hope our colleagues will support, I will strongly push na mapondohan itong megafarming concept of at least P3 to P5 billion para matulungan ang mga farmer," he added.

DAR Undersecretary Bernie Cruz said their initial estimate for piloting the mega farms project was P5 billion, close to what Cabatbat and Villafuerte proposed.

The DAR had originally proposed a budget of P32.96 billion for 2021, but the Department of Budget and Management gave them a budget ceiling of only P8.85 billion.

This budget is 7% lower than the budget of the department under the 2020 General Appropriations Act, amounting to P9.14 billion.

The House appropriations panel has terminated the deliberations for the budget proposal of DAR. The proposed appropriations of the department can now be discussed in the plenary.—AOL, GMA News