Restore higher rice tariffs, farmers urge senators

MANILA, Philippines — Farmers yesterday appealed to senators to restore higher tariffs on imported rice and strengthen domestic production as a more sustainable solution to help them recover their losses.

During the Senate hearing of the committee on agriculture, food and agrarian reform, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said there is a need to revert the rice tariff from the current 15 percent back to the previous 35 percent to mitigate the income losses suffered by farmers due to increased rice importation.

The Senate earlier adopted a resolution urging President Marcos to reinstate the “most favored nation” tariff rate of 35 percent.

Pangilinan flagged the drop of P8 per kilo in the farmgate price of palay amid the influx of cheaper imported rice under the lower tariff regime.

“If the agricultural sector’s land is a policy, it is clear that the Rice Tariffication Law has had a poisonous effect rather than a fertilizing one,” Pangilinan said.

During the hearing, Rodolfo Unan of a Nueva Ecija farmers’ group and Gemma Tabian of an Occidental Mindoro farmers’ group blamed rice importation and the reduced tariff rate for undermining the local rice industry.

Raul Montemayor of the Federation of Free Farmers said the lower tariff on imported rice has failed to significantly reduce retail prices, resulting in only about a P6 decrease.

Pangilinan said the hearings aim to explore restoring the graft-tainted National Food Authority’s regulatory and import licensing functions.