There is no debate now that the Rice Tariffication Law, beyond the rosy picture that the Economic Managers presented to President Rody Duterte to push it, is a major legislative blunder causing miseries to millions of rice farmers all over the country.
These rice farmers, who invest an estimated P150-B every year in a P500-B rice industry of the Philippines, are now deeply hurt that they may abandon rice farming and jeopardize the food security of the country.
Saan nagkamali ang mga Economic Managers?
Ang unang mali ng mga Economic Managers ay ang assumption na kapag binaha mo ng bigas ang merkado, magkakaroon ng sapat na supply at babagsak ang presyo ng bigas.
Kung kamatis siguro ang binebenta sa palengke at gusto mong pabagsakin ang presyo, then you flood the market with a lot of tomatoes which could get rotten after one day, hence the need to sell it at any price.
Rice is not tomato or any other perishable item. It is our main staple and it’s availability or non-availability in the rice bins of Filipino families is the measure of their economic status.
Hindi naintindihan ng mga Economic Managers na ang rice trading ay kontrolado ng mga malalaking negosyante na puedeng mag-hoard at magmanipula ng supply at presyo sa merkado.
Hindi din nila naintindihan na tatlong classification ang bigas – 25% broken na pinakamura, 15% broken na medyo mas mataas ang kalidad at ang premium rice na pinakamahal sapagka’t ito yong Basmati, Jasmine, Long Grains at iba na maganda ang pagkagiling.
Kung ang intensyon ay magkaroon ng sapat na supply sa palengke at mura ang presyo, dapat ang i-import ay 25% na binebenta ng NFA dati ng P27 per kilo or 15% broken.
Pero hindi ito gusto ng mga importers at traders because their margin of profit is very thin.
Since Free-for-All na ang importation, ang ipinasok ng malalaking importers at traders ay ang Premium Rice tulad ng Jasmine ng Thailand, Basmati ng Pakistan at Long Grains ng Vietnam.
But since premium rice ang mga ito, mahal ang benta sa palengke kaya bagkus na bumaba ang presyo ng bigas, lalong tumaas ang presyo ng bigas sa palengke.
At dahil malaki ang tubo ng mga importers at traders sa imported premium rice, hindi na sila namimili sa mga local farmers na sya naman ang naging dahilan ng pagbagsak ng farm gate price to only P11 to P13 per kilo today.
Bakit ka nga naman mamimili ng local palay samantalang magbibilad ka pa, gigilingin mo pa at hindi pa uniporme ang bigas sapagka’t iba’t ibang variety.
Importing rice is much easier.
The importers will simply call up their suppliers in Vietnam, Thailand, India, Myanmar or Pakistan and the rice packed beautifully in 25-kilo bags will arrive in containers.
Then, they call up their distributors in the provinces and ship the containers directly.
No risks. No hassles. Huge profits.
So, since the big rice traders are raking money from imported rice, they do not buy from the rural rice buyers anymore who in turn tell the farmers that their warehouses are full or that they have no dryers.
The National Food Authority which had been emasculated by the Senate Version of the RTL is of little help with limited funds enough only to buy 2% of the country’s total rice production.
Ang tawag ko dito, Total Market Denial.
This is not a simple problem because this could have an impact on our country’s Food Security.
Papatayin talaga ng Rice Cartel ang local rice industry because the more rice farmers refusing to plant rice, the greater would be the demand for imported rice.
They then would control the supply of rice and dictate the prices just like what’s happening now in the market.
But what if another pandemic hits the world and all countries will hold on to their food supplies to ensure the survival of their people?
What if Climate Change would result in droughts or flooding and the rice exporting countries could no longer supply our rice needs?
What if an armed conflict erupts in the West Philippine Sea and prevents the shipment of rice from Vietnam, Thailand, India, Pakistan or Myanmar?
These grim scenarios could happen and these are more real than the benefits of the RTL which the Economic Managers promised the President and the Filipino rice farmers and consumers.
There is only one thing to done.
The Economic Managers must admit that they got their projections and numbers wrong, apologize to the President and the Filipino rice farmers and recommend the repeal of the RTL.
#MakinigDinSaBarrioAthlete!
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
(Video by Mayette Tudlas)
https://www.facebook.com/100044577333084/videos/575888133637668
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