THE Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) is finalizing the measures to help farmers in Negros Occidental amid the low buying prices of palay (unhusked rice) among traders, its top official said.
Provincial Agriculturist Japhet Masculino said the low buying prices of palay during this first cropping, which currently ranges from P12 to P15 per kilogram, is a nationwide problem confronting local rice farmers.
Masculino said that for Negros Occidental, they already have an arrangement with the National Food Authority (NFA) that buying is at P19 per kilo for clean and dry palay.
"The NFA is asking the help of the provincial government if the latter can provide vehicles to transport the procured palay from the farmers going to its warehouses or to the buying stations it will establish," he said, adding that this would lessen the cost on the part of the farmers.
The OPA will finalize the arrangement with NFA-Negros Occidental this week.
The provincial agriculturist recalled that the Provincial Government had allocated P5 million for its own palay procurement project last year.
It started procuring palay from farmers in the province at P15 per kilo.
Masculino said there is still a remaining fund from that project so they are finalizing the arrangement to continue the procurement.
"Though, the farmers' first option should be the P19 per kilo with the NFA," he stressed.
The OPA recognized that aside from transporting their produce, farmers also need to make sure that their palay complies with the 14 percent moisture content requirement set by the NFA.
Thus, the province also plans to allow farmers to use the Rice Processing Center in Barangay Tabunan in Bago City for drying their palay.
Masculino said if the province needs to collect an amount from the farmers for drying their palay at the processing center, it will be lower for sure.
"To make sure that the palay will not be rejected by the NFA, we will also make an arrangement with the agency if it can assign a personnel at the center to monitor the moisture content or level of dryness of the palay," he added.
'Justice for farmers'
As they lament that low buying prices of palay further plunge them into poverty especially during this pandemic, a group of small rice farmers in Barangay Dulao in Bago City is calling for help from the local and national government.
Jheson Quinta, president of Barangay Dulao United Farm Owners Association (BDUFOA), told SunStar Bacolod that the current buying price of palay ranges from P11 to P14 per kilo only depending on the variety.
Quinta said the farmers are on the losing end given these prices. They cannot even recover their production cost.
"Why is there a huge disparity between the prices of palay and rice," he asked, adding that "we call for justice for our fellow farmers, who are working hard to feed the nation even with the challenges brought by the pandemic."
The BDUFOA is composed of 272 registered farmer-members with up to three hectares rice area each. More than half of them are currently harvesting their crops.
The organization held an emergency meeting at the barangay auditorium Wednesday, September 30, to discuss the plight of its farmer-members.
During the meeting, members agreed to tap the NFA and sell their palay in bulk to the agency through the association.
However, they are having a problem as to where to dry their palay as there's no available area in the barangay.
Quinta said they already expressed their concerns to City Agricultural Technologist Roberto Juarana, who was also present at the meeting.
He [Juarana] has yet to forward these concerns to the City Agriculture Office, Quinta said.
Among other steps the association plans to undertake include tapping the media and other government agencies to air their sentiments.
They will also be setting up tarpaulins and posters in various areas in the barangay carrying "justice for famers" message to increase awareness among the public on the prevailing struggles of the farmers.
"The low buying prices of palay is an additional burden to the farmers especially during this crisis," he said, adding that "some of our household-members have lost their jobs so we need to earn more in order to sustain the daily needs of the family."
Tariffication
Masculino said the low buying price of palay is partly attributed to the Rice Tariffication Law, which was positioned to make rice affordable to consumers.
He pointed out that palay prices normally decrease during harvest season. But with tariffication, the price is aggravated because anybody can import rice.
"So guwa ya patay gid ang farmers [the result is, farmers really die]," Masculino said, adding that it will be losses or just a break-even for the farmers.
The provincial agriculturist has called on Negrenses to support local farmers.
"To the traders, have mercy to the farmers. Don't buy their palay at a very low price," he appealed.
The official also assured that the Provincial Government has felt the agony of the local farmers, and that it is looking for ways on how to help them.