RICE is life so don't waste it, said Regional Director Rufo C. Chan as he emphasized the importance of the national observance of the International Year of Rice in a press conference at the Philtown Hotel, following the formal launching of the celebration in Cagayan de Oro City on July 2.
"We should refrain from wasting rice and having leftovers," Chan said, adding that everybody should practice the right way of eating rice in keeping with the observance's theme "Rice Is Life."
Meanwhile, Dr. Ma. Luisa R. Soliven, dean of Central Mindanao University's College of Agriculture, pointed out that the price of rice should not be pegged because in a sustainable system, there is the need to give incentives and considerations to those involved in rice production, such as farmers, tillers and consumers.
"If we want the National Food Authority to provide quality rice, we should also provide quality price to producers," she added.
Soliven, at the same time said while the prevailing price of rice offered by NFA is highly subsidized by the government, it cannot be ascertained how long this will continue due to the dwindling national budget.
She urged stakeholders to lend support to the government in addressing this problem.
The succeeding activities of the season-long International Year of Rice observance in Northern Mindanao will be participated in by the academe and government agencies led by DA-10 and PhilRice.
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