He explained that the line up of people in the distribution centers in the different outlets of the government's National Food Authority (NFA) was due to the fact that many of the people who were once consuming commercial rice are now shifting to NFA procured rice.
The lawmaker blames the rising cost of farm inputs including fertilizers and pesticides and of the petroleum products that contributed to the high cost of commercial rice in the market.
Teves lamented that aside from these factors, there are big four rice traders based in Manila who are cartelizing the rice distribution throughout the country, thereby giving them the power to dictate the price of rice aside from other factors.
He said even the global rice exporting countries -- Vietnam, Thailand, and India -- are grouping together and having a worldwide cartel controlling and dictating the price of rice.
This affects the government's procurement system.
This situation, said Teves, should serve as a challenge to the Filipino people and the government to produce more to lessen our dependency on imported rice.
To stress that there is no rice shortage, he said he has observed farmers from Zamboanguita, Siaton and the rest of the rice producing towns still harvesting rice and are continually doing the planting for the next harvest.
He also predicted the lowering of the price of the commercial rice in the coming months. This, as big national traders hoarding rice will hold the rice for a maximum period of three months.
It will be illogical to hold rice beyond three months as the rice will rot, he said.
The government for now has been countering the moves of rice hoarders by buying a lot of rice and have NFA sell it until such time the hoarders will release their stocks. (EBS)
