The state-owned Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) has disbursed a total of P1.16 billion in loans to farmers, fisherfolks, and agribusinesses in six months under its Agrisenso Plus program.

LandBank reported that the loans have benefited 6,853 borrowers, which also include agrarian reform beneficiaries and funded economic activities on more than 21,000 hectares of land as of May 2025.

The bank targets a minimum of 10,000 borrowers by the end of the year.

Agrisenso Plus offers clients interest rates ranging from 4 percent to 7.5 percent per annum and repayment periods of one year to 10 years.

Strengthening agriculture

“As your true partners in progress, our goal is to further strengthen our agriculture sector so that we may all advance and prosper together,” LandBank president and chief executive officer Lynette Ortiz said.

Agrisenso Plus borrowers can use their loans to quickly acquire farm machinery, pre-harvest and post-harvest facilities, and tools for pond development.

Aside from these, the loan program also offers agricultural workers and enterprises capacity-building support for growing their production and incomes under the Agri-Fishery Support through Capability Enhancement for Nationwide Development.

“We know that physical hard work is not enough. Even if you sweat too much from planting, you cannot produce high profits and volumes of harvest without the right business knowledge and strategies,” Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said at the recent distribution of ATMs to about 1,000 beneficiaries in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

Agrisenso Plus was launched in May 2024 and was improved five months later in October to ensure accessible financing to most agricultural workers and enterprises.

“The difference in Agrisenso is that we want to espouse cluster farming. If you will notice, it already has agribusiness and cooperative components,” said LandBank officer-in-charge for Programs Management Crisso Pernito.

“One of the loan requirements for borrowers is the endorsement from the National Irrigators Association that serves farmers who work on contiguous land,” he said.