Saturday, April 05, 2008 Roperos: President's solution By Godofredo M. Roperos Politics Also
I DON’T know whether to shout Hallelujah, shed tears of worry or praise President Arroyo for being intrepid in seeking solutions to the on-going cereal problem in the country.
There is no fear in the President’s decision to allot P5 billion from the P100 billion budgetary savings last year for rice subsidies. The move is reminiscent of the one extended to cereal farmers under Ferdinand Marcos’ Masagana 99 and Masaganang Maisan programs.
The way the government has been handling the rice and corn production program across the decades should not make one wonder why supply shortages keep recurring. This is disturbing especially if we consider that we are not behind in scientific and technical expertise on rice and corn culture. Having the International Rice Research Institute here is proof of that.
But what is truly disturbing is that even if rice and corn are the republic’s basic staple, there has never been any determined effort on the part of government to make their production a top priority in our agricultural programs. Our farmers take to rice and corn farming as a matter of personal choice, not as a matter of necessity in keeping with the imperatives of national survival.
Cereal production has become subject of a free wheeling business activity with profit as the main goal.
The industry is scrutinized when there is shortage of supply and there is an outcry from the public. And with cereal prices subject to manipulation by rice and corn cartels, farmers and low-income consumers turn helpless fall guys to shrewd manipulators who are also often stock hoarders.
In yesterday’s first Friday mass at the Basilica del Santo Nino, the young priest celebrant touched in his homily the specter of rice shortage in the country. The Lord will never allow his people to die of hunger, he said, adding that the world has more than enough to meet the need of the Lord’s people. “But there is never enough food in the world to satisfy people’s greed.”
The President’s “quick fix” solution is standard for national leaders: appropriate funds from people’s taxes and be done with the problem. So, she ordered the release of P5 billion to get people, including the municipalities, to plant rice provided they agree to sell to the government their produce, probably in payment of the amount advanced to them, and they keep the profit.
Very neat, except that there is no assurance the funds will be invested as expected sans political gimmicky and that the weather would cooperate.
