IATF approves DA’s P31 billion supplemental budget

MANILA, Philippines — The Interagency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) has approved the P31-billion supplemental budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to roll out its interventions to ensure sufficient food and stable prices amid the enhanced community quarantine.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar said the IATF approved the fund for DA’s Plant, Plant, Plant Program or Agri 4Ps to increase the country’s food adequacy level during the emergency situation arising from the coronavirus disease pandemic.

“It was among the several recommendations approved by the task force that include unhampered transport of all farm and fishery products, and supplies used for farming and fishing, including food packaging and manufacturing materials,” Dar said.

The IATF will now endorse the budget to President Duterte for his consideration and final approval.

The budget includes P7.5 billion for rice resiliency project and P7 billion for palay  (unhusked rice) procurement fund of the National Food Authority.

Another P3 billion each will be used for the expanded survival and recovery project, expanded agriculture insurance project, and social amelioration for farmers and farm workers.

DA also allocated P1 billion each for the upscaling of Kadiwa stores, integrated livestock and corn resiliency project, expanded small ruminants and poultry project, coconut-based diversification project, fisheries resiliency project, and revitalized gulayan project.

Another P500 million each has been earmarked for urban agriculture project and acquisition of protective personal equipment, P300 million for corn for food project and P200 million for information, education and communications project.

“The task force also reiterated that farmers, fishers, and workers in agri-fishery production, processing and manufacturing enterprises, including those involved in the entire food value chain are exempted from the curfew imposed in observance of the enhanced community quarantine,” Dar said.

Further, the IATF approved the reactivation of the Local Price Coordinating Councils to monitor food supply and prices, and help implement the suggested retail price scheme, issue warning, and apprehend violators.

The reactivation of LPCCs is aimed to forestall the excessive and unreasonable price spikes of agri-fishery commodities, processed products and medicines.