Solon assails Arroyo government for earning from rice imports

01/08/2010

The Arroyo government is earning something from the rice importations and this is the reason why it does not have the will to work for self sufficiency in rice production.

According to Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo Plaza, the Arroyo government could have solved the rice crisis had it used its resources to produce the rice needed by the country.

“We do not have to import… but something is fishy in these rice importations,” Plaza said yesterday even as he pointed out that the current prices of rice are high because of the importations. “Why are we having a rice crisis when we can be self-sufficient?”

He pointed out that food, particularly rice, is very much cheaper in our neighboring countries such as Thailand, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia where our rice import comes from.

Plaza stressed we had been importing rice because the present administration had been earning in rice importations.

“Pinagkakakitaan tayo ng gobyerno ni Pangulong Arroyo sa ating araw-araw na pagkain,” he added.

He said he had discussed the rice problem with government authorities concerned, but the answer always remained the same —“it’s better to import rice from other countries.”

The congressman who is himself a farmer said we should wake up now to confront the rice crisis or our food security would be compromised in the very near future.

He claimed there is a looming rice cartel in the international rice market and the Philippine government will not be able to deal with it in the near future.

The government, he said, should put more investment and effort in rice production like the setting up of modernized post harvest facilities, more irrigation systems, more credit for the farmers and opening up more lands for rice culture.

Plaza together with Rep. Salvador Escudero authored House Bill 1431 seeking to revert back to the national government the discharge of basic agricultural functions and responsibilities devolved to local government units, particularly agricultural personnel and technicians.

Meanwhile, Makati Mayor and United Opposition (UNO) vice presidential candidate Jejomar Binay has urged the national government to explore the option of providing subsidies to soften the impact on poor families of the reported increase in the price of rice next week.

But in the long term, Binay said the next administration should invest heavily in irrigation infrastructure to provide food security and expand the potentials of the country as a food exporter.

“I understand that building new irrigation infrastructures would take time, so this is best left to the incoming administration. However, for now, national government must find a way to soften the impact of the rice crisis,” Binay said.

Rice traders have announced a P1 per kilo increase in rice prices in Metro Manila and P2 per kilo in Cebu next week. In December last year, international rice traders had projected an increase in rice prices by as much as 60 percent this year.

The opposition leader said such an increase would cause the price of the cheapest rice today, which is at P31 per kilo, to reach P39 per kilo within the year.

“If government does not subsidize the price increases in 2010, how many families can afford rice at P39 per kilo?” Binay asked.

Binay said the national government could disburse the budget for subsidies to local government units (LGUs). He added the different LGUs, being closer to the people, would know the poorest of the poor in their areas of jurisdiction and make sure the subsidy reaches them.

“The national government could release the budget to the governors and mayors who know who the indigent families are so we can minimize wastage. Each locality has a database they can use to ensure rice subsidies will reach those who deserve them,” Binay said.

“In the long term, we have to address the development of irrigation systems to produce more rice. Right now, only half of our three million hectares of farmlands are irrigated. If we invest in irrigation, we could ensure enough supply in the future,” Binay said.

The Philippines is the world’s largest rice importer. In 2008, the country imported 2.3 million tons of rice, which is the highest the country has ever imported. Traders who attended an international rice conference in Cebu in December have said that the Philippines may have to import as much as three million tons in 2010 because some 500,000 metric tons of rice were lost during typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” last year.

The Department of Agriculture pegged the losses at 850,000 metric tons.

“The next administration could make the agricultural sector productive by providing the necessary technology and funds. If done properly, our country can become an exporter rather than an importer of rice,” Binay said.

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