Entering 2026, Philippine agriculture is in a stronger position after its highest growth performance in eight years, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

However, he stressed that maintaining momentum in the sector will require continued investment, policy reforms, and favorable weather conditions.

Speaking during the induction of new officers of the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines on 9 February, Tiu Laurel noted that the sector’s 3.1 percent growth in 2025 reflected the early impact of recent reforms, despite challenges including 23 storms last year, 22 of which struck during the second half, a critical period for harvests.

Export performance also rebounded, driven by a recovery in banana shipments and rising demand for other tropical fruits. Philippine avocados entered the Japanese market for the first time, while durian gained access to new destinations. Domestically, onion prices stabilized after years of volatility.

“These are early gains from a longer and deliberate reset of the sector,” Tiu Laurel said, noting that reforms accelerated after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed leadership of the DA in 2022.

At the core of the strategy is making agriculture a profitable and sustainable livelihood. “Farmers and fisherfolk must be profitable, agriculture must reclaim its role as a serious economic driver, and the sector must build hope and futures that draw in a new generation because opportunity is real,” he said.

The administration allocated one of the largest recent budgets for agriculture in 2026, directing funds to farm-to-market roads, warehouses, food hubs, post-harvest facilities, dryers, and a national command center to improve sector-wide coordination. “These are not headline investments. They are long-game investments, and they matter,” emphasized Tiu Laurel.

Current spending insufficient

Despite this, he admitted that current spending is insufficient to fully address structural weaknesses.

The DA estimates that the sector requires P400 billion to P500 billion annually, sustained across two administrations, to reverse decades of underinvestment, rebuild key institutions like the National Food Authority, and strengthen resilience to external shocks.

Near-term measures have already helped moderate food prices. Rice prices declined in 2025, easing inflation and supporting interest-rate cuts.