It is part of the government’s plans to curb recurring price spikes triggered by weather-related supply disruptions.
In a statement on Friday, the Department of Agriculture (DA), led by Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. said that it has earmarked PHP300 million to expand farming for high-value vegetables such as tomatoes, chili, and bell peppers through climate-resilient methods.
Through that amount, the department will be supporting basic greenhouses, drip irrigation, and water-impounding systems to ensure proper crop management and reduce the exposure of farmers to weather.
Noting how these crops suffer sharp price swings due to changes like extreme heat and heavy rains, Tiu Laurel said: “This is a perennial problem—sometimes chili pepper is very expensive, sometimes there is no supply at all; the same goes for bell peppers and tomatoes, What we want is continuous production, year-round whether it’s dry or rainy.”
Previously announced to be part of the White Revolution initiative, it will be patterned to other countries like South Korea, which predominantly uses greenhouses to sustain its output of produce despite changes in seasons.
“By working with cooperatives and farmer associations rather than individual farmers, innovative strategy will start by organizing production at the community level where local seed and seedlings production is established to technically equip women and youth to make planting materials readily available in a structurally coordinated and decentralized manner,” said the DA.
The department also expressed its aims of generating stable volumes that can reliably supply major urban markets and dampen the boom-and-bust cycles that affect both farmers and consumers.
They also mentioned that they are opting to deploy rainshelters and simpler greenhouse structures to provide partial protection from the elements and make it a viable business model without using costly and high-tech facilities.
It noted that these facilities “protect crops from heavy rainfall, reduce flood risks and pest damage, and enable more efficient water use through drip irrigation and misting systems, making them easier to replicate across farming communities.“
Rainshelters, greenhouses and irrigation systems will be located in areas adjacent to major consumption centers such as Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, and Metro Davao to shorten delivery time and cut post-harvest losses.
For the Metro Manila market, the DA is looking at nearby provinces including Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Laguna, Rizal, and Quezon.
In tandem with that, the DA is also building a network of cold storages to extend the shelf life of highly perishable vegetables, and provide small-scale vegetables processing facilities to reduce food loss and provide additional revenue stream for farmers in a sustainable manner.
Tiu Laurel continued, “The objective is to keep producing even during El Niño or La Niña. With irrigation during dry months and cover during heavy rains, farmers are able to adapt with the changing weather conditions and are effectively able to plan their production based on market demand.”
Meanwhile, as a way to limit market risks and give farmers stable income during the initial rollout, the program will begin in selected pilot municipalities. The Food Terminal Inc. (FTI) has also committed to buying the harvest at pre-agreed prices.
The DA chief also said that the department is aiming to increase the current size of greenhouse-covered farms nationwide, which stands at 500 hectares, to 5,000 hectares by the end of 2027.
“If this proves successful and farmers earn from it, they will push for its continuation and scale up the system —even under the next administration,” he added.