Tuesday, April 01, 2008 Editorial: Fuss over rice shortage
THERE’S no reason to begrudge officials of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Food Authority (NFA) for denying that rice supply is running short.
The rice situation is so complicated everybody can come up with his/her take on the matter, offer varied solutions to the “problem” and come out looking sensible.
It’s possible the assessment of DA and NFA execs on the rice supply situation is an honest one and that the problem lies somewhere else, like in the interference of cartels.
But whether supply is short or not, there’s no denying rice prices have gone up, which is a concern of consumers, many of whom are already wallowing in poverty.
Self-sufficiency
Then again, while alluding to the law of supply and demand in interpreting the rise in rice prices is tempting, that could only be part of the problem or not at all.
Rice can still be had considering the government policy of importation, only that the country can procure the commodity from exporting countries at higher prices.
Which brings us back to where those who are denying that rice is in short supply and those who are insisting there is a rice shortage may have one analysis in common: government neglect of agriculture and the sorry state of rice production in the country.
Long-term goal
Self-sufficiency, at least in rice, is always the ideal given the unpredictability of the world market, like what is staring currently at the government in the face.
In a way, recent efforts to address the problem, like going after erring rice retailers and cartels and clamping down on rice smuggling may work in the short term.
Even importing rice from other sources may give government breathing space.
In the end, everything will boil down to the basics and whose ramification will be long-term, and this is for government to focus on ironing out rice production kinks.
The current fuss over rice may be the needed wake-up call for government to finally do the right thing—that is, if it wants a long-term solution to the problem at all.
