Road to Food Sufficiency! Rice, Corn, Sorghum Industry Need Post-Harvest Facilities

Hereford, Texas – My dream of liberating our farmers from the shackles of traders and middlemen, brought me once again to this rural Texas City which hosts some of the most modern grains post-harvest facilities.

Ito ang kulang sa atin sa Pilipinas, pati ang pagbibilad ng palay at mais ginagawa sa highways.

Kaya hindi makakalaban ang ating rice and corn farmers sa mga traders ay dahilan sa wala silang pagbibilaran at pag-iimbakan ng kanilang mga produkto.

So, what happens is that right after harvest, they have to sell their palay and corn.

As Chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), I designed the Grains Silo Storage Program to protect farmers from manipulative pricing and exploitation.

Under this program, a Grains Silo Storage Facility would be set up by either the LGU or Coops where farmers could deposit their produce when the price is low and just draw an advance to cover their family needs.

At off-season, when prices go up, the farmers could go back to the Silo Storage Facility and release their stocks at a higher price.

This concept could be implemented nation-wide through a legislation which would task an agency like the National Food Authority or even farmers groups like PhilMaize to operate the facility.

Hindi kaya ng mga magsasaka na magpatayo ng ganitong facilities.

Government must invest in these facilities and establish Silo Storages in key production areas.

Or else our farmers would forever be victims of manipulative pricing which affects his planting intentions and make him less productive.

#GovernanceIsCommonSense!

#KungGustoMaramingParaan!

(Video by Ariane Laus)