Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri is lending his support to Mindanao farmers who are struggling against imported feed wheat.
Local farmers have approached the senator from Mindanao to raise their predicament of having to compete with imported wheat feed in the market, amid the harvest season for locally produced corn.
“We need to help them recover.”
This competition puts local farmers at a disadvantage, forcing them to drive their prices down, even below expected farmgate prices.
To assist them, Zubiri has reached out to Department of Agriculture Secretary William Dar to endorse their concerns.
Dar has, in turn, promised the veteran legislator that he will look into the matter and direct the Bureau of Plant Industry to do the same.
“I asked the DA to time the importation of feed wheat only during the lean season of local corn harvest or production, so as not to compete with our own farmers.”
“In line with our campaign to ‘Buy Local’ and support our local farmers and industries, I asked the Department of Agriculture to time the importation of feed wheat only during the lean season of local corn harvest or production, so as not to compete with our own farmers,” the seasoned lawmaker said.
“It is especially vital that we support our local farmers now, in this time of pandemic. We need to help them recover,” he concluded.