RCEF takes too long to get to struggling rice farmers
Published Sep 2, 2019 08:56 pm
By Ellson QuismorioÂ
Help is on the way for struggling Filipino rice farmers, but will the assistance reach them on time?
Farmers uproot rice sappling in Barangay Mameltac, San Fernando City, La Union as the starts for planting season due to rainy season. (ERWIN BELEO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
This was the main takeaway during the briefing held Monday by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food on the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 11203, or the controversial Rice Tariffication Law.
Attending the briefing were resource persons from Department of Agriculture (DA), National Food Authority (NFA), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), implementing agencies of the Rice Tariffication Law, and stakeholders representing the rice farmers who have been aching from the effects of the six-month-old law.
The farmers' top problem has been the plunge seen with farm gate prices of local palay or un-milled rice ever since the market liberalization or "free trade" aspect of RA 11203 allowed for the unrestricted importation of rice.
Imported rice is cheaper than local rice since rice farming in the Philippines is more expensive compared to countries like Vietnam and Thailand.
This is where the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) component of RA 11203 comes in. DA Field Operations Service (FOS) Director Roy Abaya gave the panel an update on how RCEF has been used to aid farmers.
According to him, the month of September marks the start of the full ground validation of farmers who will benefit from RCEF, which has multiple facets of assistance.
"We expect, starting October up to December, makapag-deliver na po tayo ng mga seed assistance may kabuuang 2.12 million bags sa mga eligible farmer-beneficiaries (we will be delivering our seed assistance with a total volume of 2.12 million bags to eligible farmer-beneficiaries,)" Abaya said.
"For the mechanization aspect...this September we hope to finalize the list of machineries and equipment. This September up to November, have the continuation of the bidding process...by December we hope to award all the contracts to winning bidders and start delivery of agricultural machinery and equipment continue up to February ," added the DA official.
Committee chairman, Quezon 1st district Mark Enverga couldn't help but notice that the promised assistance to farmers was still a long way off.
"Gusto lang natin linawin, ayon sa presentasyon po ninyo, ngayon pa lang natin mararamdaman ba yung initial P5 billion na inilabas noong 2018 na pina-obligate noong 2019? (We just want to clarify, based on your presentation, is it only now that we are going to feel the result of the P5 billion from RCEF that was released in 2018 and obligated for 2019?)" he asked, to which Abaya answered, "Opo (Yes)."
Enverga noted that farmers will also need to avail of additional training in order to maximize the seed and machinery subsidy, thus taking up more time.
False hope?
Former Anakpawis Party-List Rep. Rafael Mariano spoke for the stakeholders during the panel briefing and criticized RCEF for being a slow-moving mechanism. "May P10-billion RCEF pero hindi po makakatugon kagyat 'yan (There's a P10-billion RCEF but that won't be an immediate remedy)."
Mariano suggested to the lawmakers the institutionalization of an absolute bottom or "floor price" for palay as a form of protection for Filipino farmers. This, as he claimed that farm gate prices of palay had dropped to as low as P10 per kilo in Central Luzon, the biggest rice producer in the country.
"Tingin ko po kailangan natin ng act of Congress dyan. Baka po pwedeng sumapat pa ang ( think we might need an act of Congress. Maybe it's enough to have a) Resolution of Both Houses of Congress regulating the price and trading of palay, setting a floor price of not less than P20 per kilo. We need immediate action," he reckoned.
But perhaps it was United Broilers Raisers Association Inc. (Ubra) President Elias Jose Inciong who nailed it on the head when it was his turn to assail RCEF before the committee.
"Hindi yung bibigyan mo ng false hope ng RCEF...kasi bago dumating yung RCEF patay ka na eh! Patay ka na eh. Ayusin na lang yung datos, diretsuhin na lang yung magsasaka at tulungan ng tunay," he said in front of the agriculture officials.
(Don't give the farmers false hope with RCEF...because before RCEF arrives, you'll be dead! You'll be dead. Just fix your data, be honest with farmers and help them truthfully.)
The BPI said that between February or the signing of RA 11203 and August 23, some 1.2 million metric tons of imported rice have arrived in the country.
Rice is the Philippines's most important crop and staple food. Rice farming employs some 2.5 million Filipinos.
Farmers uproot rice sappling in Barangay Mameltac, San Fernando City, La Union as the starts for planting season due to rainy season. (ERWIN BELEO / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
This was the main takeaway during the briefing held Monday by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food on the implementation of Republic Act (RA) 11203, or the controversial Rice Tariffication Law.
Attending the briefing were resource persons from Department of Agriculture (DA), National Food Authority (NFA), Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI), implementing agencies of the Rice Tariffication Law, and stakeholders representing the rice farmers who have been aching from the effects of the six-month-old law.
The farmers' top problem has been the plunge seen with farm gate prices of local palay or un-milled rice ever since the market liberalization or "free trade" aspect of RA 11203 allowed for the unrestricted importation of rice.
Imported rice is cheaper than local rice since rice farming in the Philippines is more expensive compared to countries like Vietnam and Thailand.
This is where the P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) component of RA 11203 comes in. DA Field Operations Service (FOS) Director Roy Abaya gave the panel an update on how RCEF has been used to aid farmers.
According to him, the month of September marks the start of the full ground validation of farmers who will benefit from RCEF, which has multiple facets of assistance.
"We expect, starting October up to December, makapag-deliver na po tayo ng mga seed assistance may kabuuang 2.12 million bags sa mga eligible farmer-beneficiaries (we will be delivering our seed assistance with a total volume of 2.12 million bags to eligible farmer-beneficiaries,)" Abaya said.
"For the mechanization aspect...this September we hope to finalize the list of machineries and equipment. This September up to November, have the continuation of the bidding process...by December we hope to award all the contracts to winning bidders and start delivery of agricultural machinery and equipment continue up to February ," added the DA official.
Committee chairman, Quezon 1st district Mark Enverga couldn't help but notice that the promised assistance to farmers was still a long way off.
"Gusto lang natin linawin, ayon sa presentasyon po ninyo, ngayon pa lang natin mararamdaman ba yung initial P5 billion na inilabas noong 2018 na pina-obligate noong 2019? (We just want to clarify, based on your presentation, is it only now that we are going to feel the result of the P5 billion from RCEF that was released in 2018 and obligated for 2019?)" he asked, to which Abaya answered, "Opo (Yes)."
Enverga noted that farmers will also need to avail of additional training in order to maximize the seed and machinery subsidy, thus taking up more time.
False hope?
Former Anakpawis Party-List Rep. Rafael Mariano spoke for the stakeholders during the panel briefing and criticized RCEF for being a slow-moving mechanism. "May P10-billion RCEF pero hindi po makakatugon kagyat 'yan (There's a P10-billion RCEF but that won't be an immediate remedy)."
Mariano suggested to the lawmakers the institutionalization of an absolute bottom or "floor price" for palay as a form of protection for Filipino farmers. This, as he claimed that farm gate prices of palay had dropped to as low as P10 per kilo in Central Luzon, the biggest rice producer in the country.
"Tingin ko po kailangan natin ng act of Congress dyan. Baka po pwedeng sumapat pa ang ( think we might need an act of Congress. Maybe it's enough to have a) Resolution of Both Houses of Congress regulating the price and trading of palay, setting a floor price of not less than P20 per kilo. We need immediate action," he reckoned.
But perhaps it was United Broilers Raisers Association Inc. (Ubra) President Elias Jose Inciong who nailed it on the head when it was his turn to assail RCEF before the committee.
"Hindi yung bibigyan mo ng false hope ng RCEF...kasi bago dumating yung RCEF patay ka na eh! Patay ka na eh. Ayusin na lang yung datos, diretsuhin na lang yung magsasaka at tulungan ng tunay," he said in front of the agriculture officials.
(Don't give the farmers false hope with RCEF...because before RCEF arrives, you'll be dead! You'll be dead. Just fix your data, be honest with farmers and help them truthfully.)
The BPI said that between February or the signing of RA 11203 and August 23, some 1.2 million metric tons of imported rice have arrived in the country.
Rice is the Philippines's most important crop and staple food. Rice farming employs some 2.5 million Filipinos.