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Senator Richard Gordon on Thursday welcomed the endorsement of a leading agriculture group for his re-election bid in the upcoming senatorial elections on May 9, 2022.

Farmers and fishermen fear the worst if more imported food will enter the Philippines next year, asking the government for a more pro-producer policy when it comes to food security and availability.

A group of farmers has threatened not to support re-electionist senators if they will not junk the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), a mega trade deal.

The government will distribute direct cash assistance of P5,000 to as many as 59,125 farmers in Nueva Ecija to be funded from the excess rice import tariff collection under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).

The opposition coming from the farmers’ groups against the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has intensified, with as many as 45 groups with thousands of members combined claiming they were not consulted about the Philippines’ commitments on the treaty as far as the agriculture sector is concerned.

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) urged the Senate to defer the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) trade agreement pending the conduct of consultations with farmers.

Several farmers’ groups have joined forces and raised the need to overhaul the Philippine agriculture sector, demanding the next administration to “transform” the industry for “food security, job creation, and balanced growth”.

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) supports the proposed transfer of the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) from the Office of the President (OP) to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) said the money that goes to Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) are government contributions to the premiums for crop insurance policies issued to farmers and not subsidies.

The Philippines is seen importing more rice in the coming months amid expectations of improving economic conditions despite the prolonged pandemic.

Palay prices in some parts of the country have dipped below the production cost, but the worst is yet to come for rice farmers.

Farmers want higher rice tariff on non-ASEAN

A group of farmers expressed disappointment and fear over the decision of the Duterte Administration to transfer the Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC) from the Department of Agriculture (DA) to the Department of Finance (DOF).

The Department of Agriculture’s (DA) move to consider slashing the tariff on corn imports coming from non-ASEAN countries was lambasted by a group of farmers.

The country’s palay output inched up during the first quarter of the year, amid the Philippine government’s decision to allow more imported rice into the country at lower tariffs, pulling down prices of the seasonally adjusted farmgate price.

Groups of coconut farmers fear another scam might happen in the process of the Philippine government’s implementation of the Coco Levy Act, the law that should pave the way for the release of the P100 billion worth of funds and assets collected through the infamous coco levy fund scam more than 40 years ago.

Philippines’ tuna and canning companies are eyeing expansion in India, which offers fishing areas that could yield up to additional 213,000 metric tons (MT) of tuna annually.

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) has questioned the plan of the Philippine government to ban the entry of rice imports during harvest season, a move that will supposedly serve as a compromise to Malacañang’s latest move to temporarily slash tariff on imported rice from non-ASEAN countries.