Tuesday, September 09, 2008 Rice retailers seek stop to fortification program
THE Davao City Council is set to hear Tuesday the request by the Confederation of Grains Retailers Association (Grecon) for a moratorium on the implementation of the rice-fortification program.
The group, in its letter to the City Council committees on health and on food and agriculture, cited the increasing prices of grains and the additional cost the fortification incurs.
"Pag magpa-fortify man gud, additional ug 100 pesos per bag. So sa ila pa lang pagpalit, mahal na. What more pag-abot sa mga consumers (An additional P100 per bag is required for iron fortification. Rice is already expensive, what more with that additional cost once it's sold to consumers)," food and agriculture committee chair Conrado Baluran said in Monday's interview.
Baluran added this is one of the issues to be tackled at the same time with the proposed ordinance on rice fortification.
"We are waiting for the City Legal Office to give us their opinion whether or not we need to craft an ordinance about this. Since this is already a national law, it might not be needed," Baluran said.
"As for the request of Grecon, I think we will have to ask them to follow the agreement of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health. This is to implement the program phase-by-phase until 2010 so that it would not be too difficult for them," Baluran said.
Baluran added they would just have to agree on which varieties are going to be placed under the program immediately.
Tuesday's agenda for the regular session, on the other hand, is dominated by matters under the committee on housing.
Under third and final readings are both reclassification of agricultural lands to residential zones located in Barangays Catalunan Grande and Bunawan.
Under unfinished business is also the housing committee report on the reclassification request of agricultural land to residential zone at Barangay Catalunan Grande.
Under second reading are seven deferred items and 12 new items. These include the application for preliminary approval of location clearance for Victors' Executive Homes located in Barangay Cabantian containing an area of 2.4 hectares and the application for preliminary approval and location clearance (PALC) for Victors' Heights Subdivision at Barangay Magtuod containing an area of 1.2 hectares. (GLP)
