Senator Raffy Tulfo called for the review of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) as he expressed alarm that the future of the rice farming industry is in danger because of existing policies.
In a Senate Privilege Speech recently, Tulfo said that while RTL had good intentions and ideas, it failed to fulfill its promises.
“The promise of lower rice prices for consumers has not been fully realized.”
“The promise of lower rice prices for consumers has not been fully realized. While there have been periods of lower prices, the overall impact on consumer prices has been mixed,” the legislator said.
“Did our farmers’ productivity improve? That’s the big question. If titignan po ang overall performance, halos wala pong nagbago. The influx of imported rice has led to a significant drop in the farmgate prices of locally produced rice,” the lawmaker added.
The senator stressed that the farmers who rely on rice farming for their livelihood are now struggling to compete with the cheaper imported rice which has resulted in reduced income for them while also threatening their ability to sustain their farming operations.
“Kaya naman imbis na dumami ang local production tumaas lang ang importation natin,” he said.
Tulfo likewise highlighted the need to review the wisdom behind the lifting of the quantitative restriction on rice imports, saying that without the National Food Authority’s (NFA) involvement in rice procurement, traders face no real competition, which enables them to drive down farmgate prices and control market rates.
Tulfo said that with RTL, the rice farmers should have already felt the effects of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) but they are still complaining.
“Ang pagtakda sa RTL na dapat ay inbred rice seed lamang ang pwedeng idistribute ay nagiging problema dahil na-limita ang pagbigay ng ibang mas mahusay na rice seeds.”
“Ang pagtakda sa RTL na dapat ay inbred rice seed lamang ang pwedeng idistribute ay nagiging problema dahil na-limita ang pagbigay ng ibang mas mahusay na rice seeds tulad ng hybrid rice seeds. Ang hybrid rice seeds ay mas ginagamit sa ibang bansa dahil ang production quality and quantity ay mas mahusay,” he said.
In relation to this, Tulfo also discussed the system being practiced by some local government officials in the distribution of fertilizer, seeds, rice credit, and other assistance from the RCEF.
According to him, he received reports that instead of the farmers benefiting from these programs, some LGU personnel list down their relatives or friends to receive allocations — even if these people don’t own any farmland.
Ultimately, Tulfo said that revisions are necessary to address the shortcomings of RTL.
“We must strike a balance between liberalizing the rice market and protecting the interests of our local farmers,” he concluded.
