THE National Federation of Peasant Women (Amihan) and Bantay Bigas urged the National Food Authority to procure palay from local farmers.
This will ensure farmers’ income and sufficient supply of affordable rice for Filipinos especially those greatly affected by the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine.
The groups said that reports from Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson-Bataan (AMGL-Bataan) said that palay prices are priced at
P14 per kilo as traders could not procure palay from farmers due to truck ban.
In Licab, Nueva Ecija, palay farmgate price is pegged at P15 to 16 per kilo.
Farmers are starting to feel the impact of the lockdown on their livelihood, according to BIGAS spokesperson Cathy Estabillo said.
“Nalilimitahan ang pagdadala ng produkto ng mga magsasaka sa mga pamilihan dahil sa ipinatutupad na suspension ng pampublikong
transportasyon at sa ipinatutupad na curfew. Dahil dito, mas nagiging vulnerable sila sa pagsasamantala ng mga traders at pambabarat sa presyo ng kanilang produkto,” she added.
With this, the NFA should enter the farmers’ communities, Estabillo said. "Pwede silang magtakda ng schedule ng pamimili sa mga komunidad, makipag-ugnayan sa mga opisyal ng barangay at organisasyon ng mga magsasaka at direktang bilhin ang mga palay."
Palay procurement is also crucial in ensuring the stable supply of affordable rice especially in Luzon which is under enhanced community
quarantine for one month, Estavillo said.
NFA reported that it has 9.636 million bags or 481,800 metric tons for stocks equivalent to 14.5-day rice consumption of the whole country.
The groups in an earlier statement demanded to pull down the price of commercial rice to P25 per kilo to make it accessible to the poor.
“The government should ensure affordable and accessible food supply especially to the poor and marginalized to guarantee the
Filipinos' survival against COVID-19 and hunger,” Estavillo said.