DA earmarks P550M for national seed reserves

MANILA, Philippines – The government plans to invest about P550 million in the next two years to build national seed reserves in strategic locations across the country.

This year, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has earmarked P250 million to build centralized storage vaults that will preserve important seeds.

READ: Philippines to deposit more rice seed samples in ‘doomsday vaults’

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“Next year, we’re putting another P300 million,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in an interview on Thursday, adding the solar-powered facilities will rise in strategic areas such as Bicol and Iloilo.

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“But basically, our target is that all regions should have seed facilities,” he told reporters.

BPI Director Gerald Glenn Panganiban said construction can be completed within six months once funds are released.

Likewise, the BPI is seeking congressional approval for its budget request while considering tapping from the Technical Assistance for Sustainable Agriculture Transformation in the Philippines (Tasat).

Tasat is a $24.5-million World Bank grant that supports initiatives to modernize the Philippine agriculture sector.

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READ: World Bank grant seen to boost Philippine farm exports

The DA, through the BPI, has already opened the first national seed facility at its compound in Quezon City.

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Panganiban said they spent less than P1 million to fix an old building for the Quezon City facility and P1.7 million to install solar panels.

Meanwhile, the BPI plans to build centralized storage vaults near in Baguio City, Los Baños in Laguna, Guimaras, La Granja in La Carlota City, Negros Occidental, and Davao.

The storage vaults will preserve seed quality and ensure timely access to planting materials for government programs and disaster response.

“A secure seed reserve reduces the risk of planting delays after calamities, allowing production to recover more quickly and minimizing supply shocks that can drive up food prices,” it added.

Each seed reserve will have three insulated storage rooms capable of storing up to 9,000 bags of rice and other crop seeds. The facilities will also provide secure seed storage services for partner government agencies and institutions.

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“In the face of stronger typhoons, prolonged droughts and other climate-driven disruptions, having a dependable reserve of quality seeds means we can help farmers replant quickly, restore food production faster and strengthen the resilience of our agriculture sector,” Tiu Laurel said in a statement. /pai INQ