Gov't to consult farmers nationwide to curb price manipulation

By Stephanie Sevillano

MANILA - The Department of Agriculture (DA) is set to hold consultations with farmers and lawmakers in a bid to strengthen the government's response to unscrupulous rice traders.

The move came after Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. ordered on-the-ground consultations in preparation for the deliberations of House Bill No. 1 or the RICE Act that seeks to amend the Rice Tariffication Law and restore regulatory powers to the National Food Authority (NFA).

Tiu Laurel said consultations would help the government understand the challenges faced by farmers, especially amid allegations that the P20 rice program is causing a decline in palay prices.

"Some farmers claim that private traders are blaming the P20 rice program for the drop in prices. That's simply not true," he said.

Tiu Laurel said the program, dubbed "Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na", is aimed at clearing aging rice stocks from NFA warehouses to allow more procurement of palay from farmers, at prices better than those offered by private traders.

"Selling rice at PHP20 per kilo helps decongest NFA warehouses, allowing us to buy more palay from farmers. Every bag of rice sold at PHP20 frees up space for two sacks of palay, which we can purchase at better prices than what private traders offer," he said.

Unlike traders' prices, which plunged to as low as PHP7 per kg. in some areas according to the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), the NFA's buying price ranges from a minimum of PHP17 per kg. for fresh and wet palay and up to PHP24 per kg. for clean and dry.

As of June 30, the NFA has already bought 149 percent of its first-semester procurement target, pushing warehouse capacity to its limits.

Among those ordered to lead the nationwide consultations are DA Undersecretary for Operations Roger Navarro, National Rice Industry Development Program Undersecretary Chris Morales, NFA Administrator Larry Lacson, and Food Terminal Inc. president Joseph Lo.

Tiu Laurel said the proposed RICE Act, endorsed by former House Speaker Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez as the chamber's top priority measure, aims to rein in profiteering and hoarding in the rice industry.

"No less than House Speaker Martin Romualdez has endorsed the proposed Rice Act, designating it as House Bill No. 1," he said.

"This underscores the House of Representatives' strong commitment to correcting flaws in the Rice Tariffication Law, loopholes that have been exploited by unscrupulous traders to the detriment of our farmers." (PNA)

(2025/07/15-10:18)

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