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DA chief, govs of top 10 rice-producing provinces agree to reduce rice prices
DA chief, govs of top 10 rice-producing provinces agree to reduce rice prices
By Jel Santos
Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco “Kiko” Tiu Laurel Jr. and governors of the top 10 rice-producing provinces in the country have agreed to bring down rice prices by boosting production.
The agriculture department noted that the 10 provinces account for 48 percent of the Philippines’ total rice production. The provinces are Nueva Ecija, Isabela, Maguindanao del Sur, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Bukidnon, Tarlac, Camarines Sur, North Cotabato, and Iloilo.
“Participants in the meeting agreed to coordinate efforts to bring rice prices down by increasing production. They also agreed to meet regularly,” the agriculture department said in a statement released on Monday, Nov. 20.
Last Friday, Nov. 17, the new DA chief said he met with the governors from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao in San Juan City.
Laurel said he was pleased with the outcome of the meeting, adding that “everybody has the same idea…”
“Nagkaroon ng konting deliberation lang. Ang bilis nga (We had a short deliberation. It was so fast),” he said.
According to the governors, the consultative meeting was a “good first step towards a concerted effort to boost rice production.”
Laurel has vowed to meet with agricultural groups as part of President Marcos' objective of modernizing agriculture to ensure the country's food security, farm products are properly priced, and farmers and fishers are pulled out of poverty.
For his part, Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali, whose province is the biggest producer of rice which accounts for nine percent of national production, said he appreciated Laurel’s effort to “touch base” with stakeholders.
“This is the first time that local government units are being given the opportunity to address the concerns of their respective provinces. I believe that this kind of leadership he is starting will benefit not only my province but also the country's food security," he added.
Also present in the said meeting were Agriculture Undersecretaries DV Savellano and Roger Navarrro, the officer in charge of operations, as well as Ramon Lim of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC).