Enforcing price ceilings on rice would eliminate unhealthy competition among rice traders who are taking advantage of the rice situation in the country, a farmers group said.
Expressing support for the government's move to set price ceilings on rice, a farmers group in Palawan said the price cap implemented starting Tuesday, Sept. 5, will help both the consumers and the farmers.
Palawan ARC Cooperative Federation General Manager Reymundo Imaysay believes that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.’s order will eliminate the unhealthy competition among rice traders who are taking advantage of the situation and will also get rid of the abusive cartels who are playing big in the price manipulation of rice.
Reymundo stated this in a statement released by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Tuesday.
Carolina Pacheco Joson, a member of the Malsada Pisco farmers’ group in Leyte, said "farmers are now happy" that consumers will now be able to buy their products at a reasonable price.
"The farmers are now happy because the rice consumers will now buy our products in Malsada Pisco. Thank you very much to President Marcos for the opportunity you have given us, farmers,” Joson said in the vernacular.
Meanwhile, the Bantay Buklura ARBs and Farmers’ Association expressed hope that the price ceiling would be followed by sellers and retailers and they will not use the situation to hoard their rice supply now.
“Sumusuporta ako sa desisyon ng ating Pangulo na hanggang doon lang yung price ceiling at sana ay hindi na tumaas dahil sa sobrang taas na halos hindi na makaagapay ang ating mga mamamayan at lalong-lalo naman na ang mga nagtatanim ng palay o magsasaka (We are supporting the decision of the President on price ceiling and we hope that the prices will not go up as Filipinos, especially the farmers, can no longer keep up with it),” the association's president Lilian Macalood said
Macalood added that they are greatly affected by the surge of prices of rice in the market.
“Kaya sana ‘yang tinakdang presyo ng ating Pangulo ang masunod at hindi itatago ng mga retailer o nag-seller nang huwag nang taasan ‘yan (So I hope that the prices set by the President will be followed and retailers and sellers won't hoard their supply so that prices won't go up again)” Macalood said.
Other members of farmer groups such as the San Isidro Organic Farmers Association of Barangay San Isidro Sta. Fe, Leyte; the Yabong Kabuhayan ng Gatud (Yakag) DARPO-Oriental Mindoro of Gatud, Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro; the Genero ARB MPC of DAR-Occidental Mindoro and the Dubduban Farmers and Fisherfolks have also expressed their support for the new order.
Marcos has signed Executive Order 39, setting the price for regular milled rice in the market nationwide at P41 and well-milled rice at P45.