Senator Cynthia Villar (Senate PRIB)

There is no valid reason for the prices of rice to go up.

This was stressed Saturday, Aug. 19 by Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate Agriculture and Food Committee, who blamed traders for taking advantage of reports of the government planning to import rice, among others.

Villar said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. himself and the Department of Agriculture (DA) have assured Filipinos that there is no rice shortage.

The lady lawmaker said the feared El Niño phenomenon has not arrived yet.

But the problem is flooding, not El Niño, she added during a DWIZ radio interview.

Because of reports that Vietnam would increase the price of its rice exports and India has decided not to sell its rice produce, rice traders have seen the opportunity to increase the price of rice by as much as P2 per kilo, Villar said.

This situation hurts both the farmers and consumers, she pointed out.

Villar also said her committee would try its best to have her bill on agriculture smuggling passed before the congressional session ends.

This measure is the non-bailable Anti-Agricultural Smuggling and Economic Sabotage bill.

This seeks to amend a 2016 law which has not produced convictions by the courts, she explained.

The bill seeks the creation of special courts to try violations of this measure, she added.

It would also discourage acts of agricultural smuggling, she explained.