The Department of Agriculture (DA) has rolled out more than P65 million in agricultural assistance to farmers and fisherfolk in Albay to help raise farm productivity, strengthen rural incomes, and support food supply in the province.

Agriculture Secretary  Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said Saturday the package of interventions is designed to modernize farm operations while helping communities cope with production challenges.

“These interventions are more than just support packages—they are a concrete step toward modernizing our farms, empowering our farmers, and ensuring a stable, sustainable food supply for all Filipinos,” Tiu Laurel said.

“By providing the right inputs, technology, and guidance, we are building resilient communities and laying the foundation for long-term food security,” the DA chief said.

The assistance includes farm inputs, livestock packages, fisheries equipment, and funding for aquaculture infrastructure intended to expand agricultural output and diversify rural livelihoods.

Under the agency’s rice program, local government units received 11,498 bags of inorganic fertilizer worth P18.7 million to support inbred rice areas and help boost yields during both the dry and wet planting seasons.

The DA also distributed eight livestock development packages worth P28.77 million under its Livestock Economic Enterprise Development Program. 

These include swine, beef cattle, goats, chickens, ducks, and stingless bees, together with housing, feed, and biologics aimed at strengthening smallholder income and cooperative-based production.

High-value crop producers were provided vegetable production inputs worth P96,730—including garden tools, seedling trays, plastic mulch, and seeds—to support the government’s Gulayan Production Program and improve farm-level efficiency.

For fisheries, the DA—working with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources—distributed two Lambaklad (Otoshi-ami) fishing gear units valued at P7.4 million, as well as tilapia and catfish fingerlings worth P48,157 to expand fish production in the province.

Farmers and fisherfolk also received technical guidance on fish culture and pond management to help improve survival and growth rates.

The agency has also earmarked P10 million for the construction of a climate-resilient freshwater fish hatchery in Camalig that will breed species such as tilapia, catfish, and carp while serving as a training hub for aquaculture production.