Department of Agriculture of Philippines

Agricultural areas need infrastructure development and logistics to improve their linkages to the urban/domestic infrastructure.  As stipulated in the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022, Chapter 8, Expanding Economic Opportunities in Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (AFF) sector is pivotal in generating employment for about a third of the country’s labor force, thereby reducing poverty and inequality for three-fourths of the poor who are in the rural areas. AFF is also key to providing raw materials to the manufacturing and service sectors, resulting in forward linkages in terms of higher-paying and more stable job opportunities. Intensifying efforts to revitalize the AFF and harnessing its growth potentials are needed to promote more inclusive development. Given the sector’s links to agribusiness, interventions and investments will be channeled to expand existing opportunities and develop new ones, thus inducing greater participation of small farmers and fisherfolk.