Rice, a politicized crop

PROF. Yuan Long Ping in 2000 gave the hybrid rice technology to the Philippines. He said he’s just paying back that utang na loob (debt of gratitude) China owed the Philippines. 500 years ago, when Ming Emperor Wan Mui Li (1573-1615), sent a special delegation to the Philippines who brought back kamote as its aid to the Fujian farmers. Fujian survived the drought and saved millions from death by hunger because of that humanitarian succor.

The National Food Authority Council (NFAC) through Cabinet Secretary Leoncio B. Evasco Jr., announced last Monday that the NFAC has greenlighted the NFA’s purchase of 250,000 metric tons (MT) of imported rice via “government-to-private” (G2P) scheme. Earlier on, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Finance and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas thumbed down the proposal of DA Secretary Piñol to increase the buying price of palay to 18 to 20 peso from the current 117 per kg. The reason the economic managers rejected the increase of the buying price of palay was its resulting higher inflation.

The time for redefining NFA’s role, as well as the proposed deployment of assistance to agriculture has long passed. The call has never been heeded for nearly three decades, for a variety of reasons.

Under a reformist Duterte presidency, the chances of getting the NFA’s role redefined and the support to agriculture redirected, are much greater.

I strongly suggest the following measures be implemented:

First, NFA should be limited to being a regulatory agency, not at all engaged in importation of rice or fixing of buying price of palay. Limiting NFA to a regulatory body means NFA’s sole authority is to issue license and permits to rice outlets selling imported rice to the local market whether through “governmentto-government” or governmentto-private sector” arrangement. It means that there will be no cap on the buying price of paddy palay to prevent private traders from buying ahead of NFA at a higher price. That’s what is actually happening today. And that is the reason why NFA perennially runs out of buffer stock.

Second, under the Agricultural Tariffication Act (RA 8178) the quantitative restriction on imports of rice should be converted into regular tariffs. The tariff proceeds should go to assist farmers engaged in agriculture, aquaculture, and dairy production. Through the conversion, government will have a source to pay for the farming assistance, without having to pass new taxes. And it will probably ensure sufficient supply of rice in the country, making rice affordable.

If the selling price of rice is pegged government at 138 to 140 per kg that represents 9.30% to 9.78% of the ordinary Filipinos daily wage of 1408.8. A family of 6 probably consumes 2 kg of rice a day.

Third, the tariff proceeds augmented by regular appropriation to DA, should finance research and development in high-yield varieties of rice. The China hybrid rice technology produces between 9 to 12 tons a hectare. Our traditional palay seed produces between 1.5 to 1.8 tons per hectare.

There should be a Presidential Award to the Region and within the region to Province who produces the highest yield per hectare. Email: