DA brings P40.95M farm assistance to Nasugbu

Farmers in Nasugbu, Batangas, are set to receive P40.95 million in government assistance, led by a P29.8-million solar-powered irrigation project intended to strengthen water access and support agricultural production.

The Department of Agriculture (DA), through its Regional Field Office IV-A and attached agencies, is providing the package across several programs covering rice, corn, high-value crops, coconut production, farm mechanization and urban agriculture.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said the assistance combines production support with infrastructure investment to address farmers’ immediate needs and longer-term productivity challenges.

The Rice Program accounts for P6.2 million, the largest allocation among the production-focused initiatives. The Corn Program will receive P1.2 million, while P545,000 is earmarked for the High Value Crops Development Program.

The National Urban and Peri-Urban Agriculture Program will receive P62,500. The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) will provide P2.1 million in assistance, while the Philippine Coconut Authority will extend P1.1 million to coconut farmers.

The largest component is a P29.8-million Solar-Powered Irrigation System being implemented through the Bureau of Soils and Water Management. The project is intended to provide a more reliable water source for farms while reducing dependence on conventional power sources for irrigation operations.

The interventions are expected to benefit farmers engaged in rice, corn, coconut and high-value crop production in the municipality.

The DA said the package reflects its approach of pairing production assistance and farm equipment with investments in agricultural infrastructure to help improve productivity and sustain rural livelihoods.

The investment brings funding to both immediate farm requirements and irrigation infrastructure, which can help strengthen agricultural production in Nasugbu.