By Brian Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday suspended all rice importations for 60 days beginning Sept. 1.
According to Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Sec. Dave Gomez, the President issued the directive upon the recommendation of Department of Agriculture Sec. Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., during a meeting with Cabinet members on the sidelines of his five-day state visit to India.
This is “to protect local farmers reeling from low palay prices during this current harvest season,” Gomez said.
However, the PCO chief clarified that the President and the Cabinet had not yet discussed the DA’s proposal to increase the tariff on imported rice.
“We will still see if we need to resort to that. Right now, the decision is to suspend all rice importation for 60 days beginning Sept. 1,” Gomez said.
“‘Yan po ang utos ng ating mahal na Pangulo para matulungan ang ating mga magsasaka ng bigas,” he added.
In a press release Tuesday, Laurel said that increasing the tariff on imported rice could help curb excessive imports while ensuring support to rice farmers and sustaining affordability of rice.
The Agriculture chief supports a gradual increase in tariffs—from the current 15%, then initially to 25% and 35%—to avoid disruption in the rice value chain and inconvenience to consumers.
However, Laurel still stressed the need to amend the Rice Tariffication Law to restore the regulatory functions of the National Food Authority to procure palay from local farmers. (with Kenneth Paciente / PTV News)
-jpv
