Peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) denounced the National Food Authority’s (NFA) proposal to import at least 330,000 metric tons of rice in hopes of addressing the projected shortage in local rice production. For KMP, the national government’s solution heading towards this projected deficit should not be to import but to support local farmers instead. “The first order of the Department of Agriculture and NFA should be to help farmers increase their productivity to achieve targeted rice production and augment the rice buffer stock,” said KMP Chairman Emeritus Rafael Mariano in a press statement on Friday, April 14. To provide context, Malacañang on Thursday, April 13, said NFA is proposing this scheme to “cover an expected deficit in the country’s buffer stock for the relief operations of various agencies in the event of calamities this year.” Farmers sun-drying palay (Photo courtesy of KMP)
“The NFA pushing for rice importation is a great disservice to farmers and Filipinos,” Mariano said, adding that this proposal opposes the administration’s declaration that the domestic rice supply is sufficient. In order to boost the Philippine rice industry and help alleviate the suffering of small-scale Filipino farmers, KMP urged the administration to increase local palay procurement to at least 20 percent. “The NFA must regain the upper hand in buying and selling of rice to influence rice retail prices that are now heavily manipulated by rice traders and importers,” Mariano furthered.