The Department of Agriculture (DA) is planning to expand direct government purchases from farmers and fisherfolk and strengthen farm-to-market linkages to help stabilize incomes and improve the viability of agri-fishery enterprises.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said on Saturday that he has directed agencies to step up market linkages by actively using updated producer supply maps to better match farmers and fisherfolk with buyers in both the public and private sectors.

“We must accelerate,” Tiu Laurel told member agencies of the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Council, which include the Department of Trade and Industry, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Finance, the Cooperative Development Authority, and private sector representatives.

“Our enterprises deserve predictable, meaningful demand. We must deliver that,” he added.

As part of the push, Tiu Laurel said the DA will revive Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), restoring its mandate to buy directly from farmers with minimal margins while addressing logistics gaps. “We’re bringing FTI back to its former glory,” he said.

To improve coordination and efficiency, the DA will also strengthen data systems and adopt uniform standards. This includes enhancements to the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Information System and the nationwide rollout of the Enterprise Capacity Development Plan.

Field-level support will be reinforced as the DA plans to restore its extension workforce starting next year by deploying around 12,000 personnel.

A bill sponsored by Senator Francis Pangilinan seeks to revive the Bureau of Agricultural Extension to support the Farmers and Fisherfolk Enterprise Development Program under the Sagip Saka Act.

On financing, Tiu Laurel urged the Agricultural Credit Policy Council and state lenders, including the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines, to streamline credit access for enterprises that are ready to scale up. “There is money,” he said. “We just have to get our act together.”

He also called for at least monthly meetings of the Council to monitor implementation and ensure programs remain responsive closely. “Our farmers and fisherfolk cannot wait,” he said.