Local food producers across all agricultural sectors – palay, corn, hogs, poultry, and fishery – have complained about a sector-wide crisis being experienced now in agriculture, which they said was triggered by low farm-gate prices, falling production, and lack of government support.
In a virtual press briefing yesterday, members of groups like Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Samahan sa Kanayunan (PKSK), Philippine Maize Federation Inc. (Philmaize), and United Broiler Raisers Association (UBRA) aired their concerns over the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) dismissive stance over the suffering that farmers and livestock growers are experiencing now during the pandemic.
They were joined by National Rural Women Coalition (PKKK), Pambansang Katipunan ng Makabayang Magbubukid (PKMM), and Kilusan Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo at Katarungang Panlipunan (Katarungan).
From the flooding of imported rice, corn, fishery, and poultry products, and the persistence of African Swine Fever (ASF), to the long delayed release of Coco Levy Fund, these groups are not convinced that Agriculture Secretary William Dar is doing his best to address their plea.
The groups are also not convinced that the agriculture sector is not on the right track under the leadership of Dar.
This is despite the fact that the agriculture sector grew by 0.5 percent during the second quarter of the year.
Such growth, which was well celebrated by the government, is a recovery from a decline of 1.4 percent during the same period last year.
Rod Bioco, corn farmer in Bukidnon and member of Philmaize, said that it’s rare that prices of the country’s two main staple, rice and corn, would simultaneously go down significantly, something that only happens due to bad governance.
“This only happens if there’s something wrong with the way things are handled at the DA. Sadly, bad governance will lead to poorer farmers,” Bioco said during the briefing.
He also reminded the DA of its obligation to fulfill the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 7607 or the act providing a Magna Carta of Small Farmers.
This, according to Bioco, should require DA to provide support price to small farmers even if the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), which allowed unlimited rice importation in the country, no longer allows the National Food Authority (NFA) to give guaranteed price support for rice and corn.
Under the RA 7606, the DA, through its appropriate agencies, shall establish a price support system for certain agricultural products, especially rice and corn, taking into consideration the need to increase the real income of small farmers.
That is provided that the price support established shall not result in the increase of the retail prices of such products beyond the paying capacity of the average consumer.
“Have they forgotten about this law? Or they just didn’t want to honor this?” Bioco asked.
It also baffles Pablito Rosales, a fisherman and member of PKMM, the fact that while the government is well aware of the reality that farmers and fishermen remain the poorest sub-sectors in the Philippines, it has also done nothing to improve their status over the last years.
“There is no indication that the lives of farmers and fishermen are improving especially now during the pandemic,” Rosales said.
“We are appealing for government support. For fishermen, they should provide us with subsidies, mechanization support, and not allow commercial fishermen in the areas where small fishermen get their livelihood,” he added.
According to him, the government doesn’t have any move to protect them and the environment where they get their livelihood, citing DA’s silence over the dumping of dolomite sand in Manila Bay, which is a major fishing ground, as an example.
For his part, UBRA President Bong Inciong said that the poultry sector is now heavily damaged by the DA's pro-importation stance, particularly the agency’s decision not to suspend the importation of poultry meat during the early days of lockdown.
This, according to him, caused poultry raisers to sell their produce at significantly low prices as well as cut their production to prevent further losses.
“We were forced to cut our production by 30 percent because the importation continues. In fact, the amount of imported chicken that entered the country from January to September this year already surpassed the amount of imported chicken that we had for the entire 2019,” Inciong said.
“If it’s true that importation is the last resort, like what Secretary Dar said, then why did they let us suffer by allowing importation to continue? Small family-owned poultry farms are closing. Only commercial farms will survive this. My family already decided that we should leave this industry. We will not let our kids inherit this business,” he added.
At the end of the briefing, the aforementioned farmers' groups gave Dar an ultimatum to act on issues they are facing. Or else, they will formally call for his resignation.