Our struggling Filipino farmers are victims of its own government. Let me put this straight. We have a sitting President and a Secretary of the Department of Agriculture who are severely bereft of the knowledge of agriculture and the plight that our farmers are going through. The heads of the attached agencies like the National Food Authority and the National Irrigation Authority are likewise extremely inutile. Together they contribute to recurring shortage of rice, and other essential food instead of raising the output in the country
The primary solution and agenda of the DA to address the shortage is importation because of the ease of transactions and what have you. How can not one suspects there is a sinister agenda in subordinating our farmers need when instead of motivating our farmers to increase their production the government instead reduce the tariff on imported rice from a high of 35% during the term of PRRD down to 15%. The most cruel act of the DA under Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel was to stop buying freshly harvested palay thus leaving the farmers no choice but to sell their fresh harvests at ₱10/kilo or even less.
The National Food Authority, which in the past buys palay at a premium price which prods private buyers from buying at a much higher price, has been reduced to the government’s rice importing agency. Gone were the days when NFA buys, dries and mill palay and sell rice to wholesalers who in turn sell rice to retailers at a fair and reasonable price.
These days under the present dispensation, the Philippines imports rice from Vietnam and sell at a retail cost of ₱48 to ₱55 per kilo depending on the classification.
And here is the bitter pill which our farmers are made to swallow. To show to the public that the Marcos government has a soft heart to consumers it goes about town selling its imported rice at ₱20 per kilo. At first glance it looks like it’s an act of kindness and compassion, but when you delve deeper into how the ₱20/kilo of rice comes about, you will be shocked that the government in fact subsidized the price at the very least in the amount of ₱28/kilo.
Out there, our farmers tilling their farms come rain and come shine, are not even aware the government is not only insulting them in their quietude it is in fact like killing them softly. Why? If the government can subsidize the price of imported rice in the market at ₱28/kilo why cannot Marcos and Laurel buy farmers palay even at a sustained price of ₱20/kilo? Raise NFA from its state of rigor mortis, provide the necessary funds to purchase farmers fresh harvest, dry, mill and sell to wholesalers and retailers. NFA selling (milled) rice to wholesalers at ₱30/kilo and retail this at ₱35 is definitely fair and affordable than the prevailing ₱48 to ₱55 per kilo. It is fair, sustainable and with a well- motivated farmers who will, for certain grow more, we might eventually be a rice exporting country.
A final piece of advice to PBBM and Laurel, forget about coming with billions of pesos for farm-to-market roads. That’s a classic and literal example of highway robbery. Prioritize instead the rehabilitation of irrigation systems. In the process repair the embankments which have been, through the years, serve as farm to market roads in many if not all towns and provinces which have irrigation systems in place.
Also forget politics. PBBM has zero knowledge of agriculture. Laurel knows fishing but nothing about farming. We have a situation where a blind is leading the blind. Ask former Aggie Secretary Manny Pinol to be your consultant. He is hands-on when it comes to farming, cattle and poultry production and many more. Who knows? He will extend his service for free.
