President Marcos believes that the price of palay could increase with the help of agricultural facilities such as cold storage, warehouses, and drying areas.

According to Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro, Marcos believes that the previous price of palay at P16 per kilo could increase to P20 per kilo if such facilities were provided to farmers.

Providing fuel and fertilizer subsidies would also ease the rising cost of production, she added.

This, as Marcos conducted an inspection at the Ambatali Warehouse and Drying Pavement in the municipality of Ramon, Isabela on Thursday, March 26.

The facility has the capacity to store up to 14,000 sacks of palay. It also serves as a drying facility capable of drying more than 3,600 cavans.

With the new facility, farmers no longer need to dry palay on the roads, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

Aside from the drying facility, President Marcos also inspected an onion cold storage facility storage turned over to the same municipality.

The DA said the onion cold storage has a capacity of up to 20,000 bags, which would prevent spoilage of about 4,000 to 7,000 bags, ensuring a year-round market supply and generating additional income for farmers.

It added that the government is reportedly aware of the drop in prices of onions and other agricultural products and that the lack of cold storage and drying facilities often leads to spoilage and forces farmers to sell at lower prices.

The department further said the government has begun providing cold storage and other facilities to address the issue.

Fuel and fertilizer subsidies will also be provided to help ease the burden on farmers amid rising oil prices, along with financial assistance through the Presidential Assistance to Farmers, Fisherfolk, and Families program.

The DA, on the other hand, is currently coordinating with the provincial local government units (LGUs) of  Isabela to provide additional help.