TIU LAUREL BACKS RCEF EXTENSION

AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. backs the proposed extension of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) and to give it a higher allocation from the tariffs collected from imported rice.

“Definitely, I think it should be extended. But there should be adjustments so we can adapt to the times,” Tiu Laurel said during an interview with reporters on Monday.

The agriculture chief said that one of the adjustments he wants is the higher allocation for RCEF that has a mandated funding of P10 billion annually from 2019 to 2024 as stipulated by Republic Act (RA) 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law. He added that tariffs from imported reached P29 billion last year.

“So, it should be a percentage. It needs to be raised, and it needs to be placed where it lacks,” the agriculture chief said.

Out of the P10 billion allocated for RCEF annually, P5 billion is for boosting the mechanization of rice farms, P3 billion for the distribution of high-yielding rice seeds, P1 billion for credit support and P1 billion for training of rice farmers.

Tiu Laurel also emphasized the importance of funding projects for the construction of postharvest facilities, which could raise rice recovery rates by up to 15 percent per kilogram of palay or unmilled rice.

“Less wastage means more income for our rice farmers,” he said, adding that the initiative also aims to reduce import volume.

Tiu Laurel said that irrigation and postharvest facilities are equally important as about 12 to 15 percent of the country’s rice produce goes to waste due to the lack of proper facilities.

Moreover, Tiu Laurel said the new law should allow for annual review on fund allocation to maximize farm productivity.

“We need to review the funding allocation every year and put it where it is most needed. If we mechanized this year and it’s sufficient, we could allot the funds somewhere else,” he said.

RA 11203 liberalized the importation of rice and removed the authority of the National Food Authority (NFA) to engage in the trading of the commodity. Instead, the NFA was mandated to maintain rice buffer stocks for emergencies and natural disasters.

Sen. Cynthia Villar, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, earlier expressed her support to extend RCEF’s term for another six year and double its annual allocation to P20 billion.

For her part, Rep. Rosanna Vergara of the third district of Nueva Ecija, the top rice-producing province in the country, has also filed a bill seeking to extend RCEF by another six years.