LIST: Department of Agriculture’s Loan Programs for Farmers and Agripreneurs (UPDATED)

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of agriculture. Countries are aiming to be self-sustainable, reinforcing the agriculture sector to strengthen food security, and the Philippines is no exception.

According to Agriculture Secretary William Dar, the vision now is to be a food-secure and resilient country with prosperous farmers and fisherfolk. This is why the Department of Agriculture (DA) has launched new agricultural loans and enhanced existing programs to help improve agriculture in the Philippines.

In light of the pandemic, the Department of Agriculture through the Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC) approved a Php246.3 million in loans of its Expanded SURE Aid and Recovery Project or SURE COVID-19 financing program. This is part of their Plant, Plant, Plant program that aims to increase the country’s food adequacy level.

Eligible farmers and fishers enrolled in the Registry System for Basic Sectors in Agriculture (RSBSA) may borrow up to Php25,000, with no collateral and interest, which can be paid in 10 years.

Micro and small enterprises (MSEs) that are focused on agri-fishery can avail working capital loans up to Php10 million. It is payable in 5 years with no interest so that affected MSEs can continue operating during the pandemic.

You can apply for the loan program by sending an email to pdd@acpc.gov.ph or at surecovid.19@gmail.com. Make sure to submit the necessary documents in the email and include your business name, name of contact person, phone number, and your province.

The KAYA program is part of the Department of Agriculture youth programs. It will help finance the capital requirements of start-up or existing agri-based projects of young entrepreneurs and agri-fishery graduates.

The program also includes capacity building training provided by state universities and colleges, government agencies, and other providers of Business Development Services (BDS). Qualified borrowers will receive technical assistance and training on mentoring, innovative financing, business planning, marketing, and product packaging.

Visit the nearest government financial institutions (GFIs) or non-government financial institutions (NGFIs), like rural banks, cooperative banks, NGOs, and other private financial institutions, to apply for the loan. Borrowers can avail up to Php500,000 loan with 0% interest and can be paid within five years.

The ANYO loan program offers loans to agri-fishery MSEs that can help fund their capital requirements, operations, or fixed asset acquisition (facilities construction, equipment, machinery).

Like KAYA, it also provides capacity building where borrowers can receive technical assistance and training to help them improve their business.

The program is divided into 2 categories:

1. Micro Agri-Negosyo Loan facility: borrowers may loan up to Php300,000 with no interest and can be paid within five years.
2. Small Agri-Negosyo Loan facility: borrowers may avail a loan of Php300,000 up to Php15 million with no interest and can be paid in five years.

In February 2021, the program was expanded to include eligible farmers and fishers’ cooperatives associations (FCAs) as qualified borrowers to help improve the food supply chain in the country. Through ANYO, FCAs may avail a loan of up to Php5 million with no interest and can be paid within five years.

The APCP is a joint program by the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), and the government-owned bank, LandBank of the Philippines (LANDBANK).

The program caters to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries (ARBs) whose organizations are not yet eligible to avail of loans from LANDBANK. It aims to achieve sustainable crop production and increase incomes of ARBs and their households by providing credit and capacity building assistance.

Qualified borrowers can get a loan of up to 80% of the total project cost. Projects with existing production loans can get up to 10% of the outstanding loan portfolio while those without existing production loans will not exceed a loan of Php 1 million per ARBO.

The Department of Agriculture is also encouraging OFWs that were affected by the pandemic to go into agripreneurship. They have allotted at least Php2.5 billion for three of its loaning programs in an effort to revive Philippine agriculture.

They also provided an online application platform for ANYO. You can send your application here!

With all these available agricultural loan programs, farmers, fishermen, and agripreneurs have the means to support their livelihood and boost the agriculture sector even when the pandemic is over.