Agriculture investment target set at P1 billion

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it hopes to attract P1 billion worth of investment in agriculture projects from the Hand-in-Hand (HIH) National Investment Forum next month.

“We hope to generate at least a billion pesos in investment,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. told reporters at the forum’s launch  on Monday.

The HIH initiative is a global platform launched by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to help governments, particularly in developing countries, partner with the private sector to mobilize financing for agri-food investment projects.

Mr. Laurel said Philippine participation in the FAO global HIH investment forums in 2024 and 2025 showed that Philippine agriculture can attract the attention of global funders.

“The HIH forums we attended in the past two years have opened us up to more than 80 markets that need (Philippine) commodities. We also receive marketing and technical support,” he said.

The DA said bringing the forum to Manila aims to translate international interest into concrete investment and help “bridge the gap between global capital and local stakeholders.”

Mr. Laurel said the DA will pitch investment opportunities in priority commodities like cacao, mango, seaweed, and coffee.

“The focus of this investment forum is actually to showcase these sectors. We wish to help these industries as soon as possible,” Mr. Laurel said.

He added that the government hopes the event can encourage investors to recognize the strong potential of Philippine agricultural products worldwide.

Meanwhile, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it is supporting the Philippines’ first HIH investment forum in three priority areas: climate and disaster resilience; agri-food value chains and logistics systems modernization; and nutrition-sensitive and inclusive approaches.

“This partnership marks a milestone in our collective effort to transform the Philippine agri-food system and to accelerate its  transition to a more resilient, competitive, and nutrition-responsive future,” Andrew Jeffries, ADB country director for the Philippines, said. — Vonn Andrei E. Villamiel