Former agriculture secretary, Leonardo Montemayor said National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arnesio Balisacan should explain to the public why the NEDA-backed Executive Order (EO) No. 62 “failed” to decrease the retail price of rice in the market.
Montemayor noted that 96 percent of the imported rice arrivals are already out in the market.
“He should explain why the NEDA-recommended EO 62 is not working (reducing rice prices as promised),” he told the Manila Bulletin.
According to the former Department of Agriculture (DA) chief, 811,960 metric tons (MT) of rice at 15 percent tariff have arrived in the country as of Sept. 16.
The NEDA chief, he said, should visit wet markets and rice farms across the country to understand the true situation—declining palay prices and persistently high rice prices—and propose solutions.
“Also, he should advise the PPA (Philippine Ports Authority) and DA on how to address port congestion/cargo withdrawal issues,” he said.
Farmers’ group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) said local farmers are now complaining about the ₱4 to ₱5 per kilo decrease in the farmgate price of “palay” (unmilled rice).
Despite this decrease in the farmgate of unmilled rice, the group noted that the rice retail prices have not fallen because the increased profits are benefiting exporting countries and importers.
Meanwhile, Montemayor doubts that the 20 million kilos or 20,000 tons of imported rice in the pier has any impact on market prices.
DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. had earlier called on the PPA to expedite the movement of nearly a thousand container vans filled with imported rice. Over 888 shipping vans contain around 20 million kilograms of rice now in the container yards of Manila ports, PPA data showed.
“It is less than four percent of the 530,000 that arrived July-August at 15 percent tariff. Ninety-six percent of the arrivals are already out in the market,” said the former DA chief.
On June 20, President Marcos enacted EO 62, lowering rice tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent. This led to the influx of imported rice into the country.