Government moves to protect farmers from influx of cheap rice imports

MANILA, Philippines — With the expected influx of cheap imported rice into the country, the government is beefing up its efforts to prepare for the summer harvest season to ensure the protection of both the farmers and consumers.

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said the National Food Authority and the Philippine Rice Research Institute are coming up with a coordinated plan for the first harvest season of the year.

“This is very critical because of NFA’s new role in the rice industry which limits its buffer stocking function to buying only locally produced paddy rice, instead of relying on importation,” Piñol said.

NFA will now be supported by the DA in its procurement operations to ensure it will be able to buy enough stocks to stabilize supply and protect farmers from traders.

“With the lifting of the QR on rice importation which will open the Philippine market to supplies of rice from other countries, Filipino rice farmers face the threat of a lower buying price for their produce,” he said.

And while the interagency NFA Council has already added an incentive for local palay procurement, Piñol said farmers are still beset with the following problems –  lack of drying facilities, delayed payments and the inability to bring their buying operations to the field.

“Another issue is the dependence of many farmers on community traders for the purchase of fertilizers, farm inputs and even personal needs,” Piñol said.

Piñol said the DA also plans to open a credit program for farmers who will sell their produce to the NFA at two percent interest which is payable upon harvest.

The Department of Agriculture will also establish drying facilities in NFA buying stations which farmers can use for free, as well as enter into tie-ups for the use of several rice processing facilities nationwide.

“We will also provide  free machineries to farmers associations and cooperatives if they meet a set volume of rice delivered and sold to the NFA,” Piñol said.

NFA has a P7-billion budget for paddy rice procurement for the first harvest season.