RICE farmers in Mindanao have experienced around 75 to 85 percent income losses after a year of the government’s implementation of Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law, a farmers group said.
Masipag Mindanao regional coordinator Leo XL Fuentes said rice farmers in South Cotabato declared that their income dropped to P10,000 from P57,000 per cropping cycle.
Other small-scale rice farmers incurred a loss of about P10,000 from P12,000 to P2,000.
“Kini na farmers wala pa nag-abang ug yuta and irrigated (These farmers have their own lands and are irrigated),” he said.
He added the income of rice farmers in Caraga Region, who till other lands, have reached negative P13,000.
In Davao Region, he said rice farmers lost between P7,800 to P15,600 of their net income.
“That is from P74,100 to P58,500 per farmer per hectare,” he said.
Citing data from the Philippine Rice Research Institute, he said the net income losses of the farmers have already reached P61.77 billion.
He said this was revealed by the farmers in Mindanao during their assessment and workshop during the anniversary of the Rice Liberalization Law on February 11 to 12.
In a statement, Masipag Mindanao said the cost of farm inputs have also increased by eight to nine percent.
“A bag of urea previously costing P900 is now sold at P990, while low grade branded cypermethrine a pesticide increased from P250 per liter and are now sold at P300. Tractor driven rotavator rental now amounts to P2,000 from P1,800 per hectare in the previous cropping,” the statement read.
The group also said the machines promised by the Department of Agriculture (DA) as part of the Rice Enhancement Competitive Fund (RCEF) has yet to reach the rice farmers.
Farm mechanization is 50 percent of the RCEF or P5 billion allocation from the tariff collected from imported rice.
Fuentes said the group continues to urge the repealing of the Rice Tariffication Law and push the Rice Industry Development Act but they are also asking the government to support farmers in their transition to produce organic rice.
Masipag Mindanao documented the success of Pacifico Palero Jr., a farmer of Santo Niño Farmers Association (SINFA) who was able to earn P19,919.00 monthly or P119,518 per cropping season for selling organic black rice.
However, the group said its production volume can only serve the local market.
“The export orientation does not match the current production capability of the organic producers as most of them are small scale,” the group said in a statement.
The group added, “The certification costs for organic produce for export abroad will be too high for small producers to afford.”