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The Department of Agriculture (DA) said it needs another 20,000 farms to adequately farm its extension program and improve support for farmers.
The DA released its test after the technical regulation commission announced the results of the November agricultural fraud test, which 6,678 were eliminated from the test pool of 9,742.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. he said the ideal rate is OLD LOGCOMCISIT ALL MEETINGS 25 to 50 farms.
Mr Laurel said the DA is working with the Higher Education Commission to align agriculture-related curricula with industry needs and ensure SouffileOutstanding student output.
He also added that agricultural programs in State universities and colleges should be restored, as well as animal studies to support the recently signed Animal Sector Law.
“Once we have added workers on the ground, our data will be real-time and more accurate, and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PPA) in particular validates the data collected,” said Mr. Laurel.
He said the additional staff will improve response to field conditions, including delays in seed and fertilizer distribution and rice monitoring (unplanted rice).
Mr Laurel added that proper compensation and strong support from the administration would attract more professionals to the government.
“Farm work is very attractive, especially if it is well paid and good, help our farmers and fishermen,” he said.
Under Republic Act No. 12215, or the Philippine agricultural law of agriculture, the minimum payment for registered farmers in the national government may not be less than 13 or P34,421 per month.
Local government units are also encouraged under the Act to expand their agricultural range, in accordance with the local government code and their financial capacity.
The agricultural labor force’s share of the workforce continues to contract through 2025 as climate-related disruptions and persistent productivity challenges have pulled more rural workers into the service sector, the Phillippine Institute said.
In a report released on Wednesday, the Government of Agriculture’s thinking said about 10% between 2023 and 2024. The share of the work sector is projected to 20.2% by 20.2% in the year 2023.
It means that PIDs at the beginning of 2025, the share of agricultural workers again entered a record low of 17.6%, which is equivalent to 9,9 million workers. This represents a steady decline from the 37% share of total employment two decades ago, according to the National Labor Directory.
PIDs report that climate events, including hurricanes and droughts driven by El Niñoons, have disrupted rural livelihoods, hastened the deployment of workers to urban services and construction jobs in cities and towns.
The PIDs report also revealed limited measurement and unsatisfactory extension services, which further reduce the ability of agriculture to retain its workforce.
“The erosion of agricultural employment poses a long-term threat to food security, rural incomes, and inclusive growth, especially if not matched by productivity-enhancing interventions,” PIDS said.
The PIDs said that while the sector services found agricultural workers, most of the jobs they found were informal and low-value.
“The decline in agricultural activity, despite the increase in finance in the high industrial sector, raises the risk of premature industrialization, where work shifts to low-value services rather than high-value ones,” it said.
Asked for comment, the Foundation’s executive director Jose Enrique A. Africa said the overcrowding of part of the agricultural workforce “should be a major cause for concern.”
“The change is not driven by the benefits of agricultural production and cheaper food but by climate shocks and the lack of productive investment. Linguistic work has a great advantage in obtaining income from informal, low-value and risky rural work,” said Mr. Africa.
He added that without real government action, rural dispossession and food insecurity will worsen as gross domestic product increases.
To deal with the taxing of agricultural workers, the PIDs say that agricultural production and infrastructure should be increased.
“Tackling these inequalities will require targeted sectoral strategies, including rural and vocational agricultural production, climate-resilient infrastructure, and digital agriculture,” it said.
Mr. Africa agreed, saying: “An effective response can be serious by ending the free distribution of land, increasing farm production through more investment and higher research in agriculture, and protecting the addition of cheap inputs,” he said.
