THE Department of Agriculture (DA) 7 has assured consumers that the buying price of palay in Central Visayas is still stable amid the rice imports from neighboring countries under the Rice Tariffication Law.
DA 7 Director Salvador Diputado said they monitor the buying price of palay weekly as ordered by DA Secretary William Dar. Farmers directly affected by the influx of imported rice will be offered a cash loan of P15,000 that is payable in eight years without interest.
“But here in our region, we don’t have affected farmers because the buying price of our palay did not decrease. It is stable,” he told SunStar Cebu.
In other regions, buying price of palay went as low as P7, prompting the government to offer loans to affected farmers. This financial assistance from the DA was given to farmers in Region 1 (Ilocos Region), 2 (Cagayan Valley) and 3 (Central Luzon), said the DA official.
In Central Visayas, only Bohol and Negros Oriental have significant yields on rice and corn. Prices of ready-to-mill dry rice in Bohol range from P18 to P23 per kilo while in Negros Oriental fresh palay buying prices range from P15 to P20 a kilo and prices for dry and ready-to-mill rice hover between P19 and P22 a kilo.
“Our rates in Negros and Bohol are still high compared to the other regions,” he said.
On Feb. 14, 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Rice Tariffication Law, which removed the quantitative restriction on rice imports and levied a 35 percent tariff on rice imports from members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and 40 percent from non-Asean countries if imports are below 350,000 metric tons (MT) and 180 percent if imports are above 350,000 MT.
To support the local farming industry, Diputado urged local government units to buy rice requirements from local farmers.
“Instead of buying commercial rice from other countries for their activities where they might distribute rice to people, we urged them to buy from their local farmers to support them,” he said.
The low supply of rice last year was the main cause inflation shot up in 2018. (JOB)