We Must Move Now! 7 Critical Govt. Measures To Avert, Address Rice Crisis

The Philippines faces an impending Rice Crisis because India, which accounts for 40% of the world’s rice exports, imposed a temporary export ban to stabilize domestic prices while the two other top rice exporters, Thailand and Vietnam, are holding on to their stocks expecting to benefit from a surge in world prices.
Following the passage of the poorly-studied Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), the Philippines, which hosts the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and has its own rice agency, PhilRice, now imports 3.7-million metric tons annually and this development will certainly hurt Filipino consumers.
Of course, for the Filipino Rice Farmers who persevered even when prices dropped because of the flooding of imported rice, this is payback time as paddy rice prices are expected to shoot up.
Sadly, the majority of Filipinos who are not farmers will receive a brutal financial beating as rice market prices are expected to soar.
To address this impending crisis, there are seven very important and urgent measures government must undertake which I am publicly submitting to government as a Food Security Advocate and a citizen who loves his country:
1. Create a Presidential Task Force against Rice Hoarding. This used to be a function of the National Food Authority (NFA) which had the power to raid warehouses suspected of hoarding rice supply to trigger price increase in the market but since the RTL effectively defanged the NFA, there is a need for President Marcos to exercise his Presidential Powers to create a Task Force whose actions will not be estopped by the RTL;
2. As its first action, the PTFRH, in coordination with the proper agencies must conduct an inventory of Rice Stocks in all warehouses all over the country to ascertain how long could the supply last. To prevent the Rice Cartel and the unscrupulous traders from exploiting the situation and manipulating prices in the market, all existing rice stocks must be valued at the time the importation was made;
3. The Dept. of Agriculture must immediately shift its Rice Program from Inbred Rice Planting to Hybrid Rice Seeds in irrigated areas to boost production. Legislating the planting of Inbred Seeds over Hybrid Seeds was one of the major blunders of the RTL;
4. The DA, with the help of the PAGASA, must identify areas in the country which would not be affected by the El Niño and introduce Rice Dry Seeding using modern Upland Hybrid Rice Varieties developed by PhilRice and private seed companies;
5. To complement existing rice supply, the DA must boost the production of alternative cereals and crops which could be grown in various areas of the country not to be affected by the drought and this could include White Corn, Adlai, Sorghum and Root Crops;
6. As part of a Medium Term Measure to boost Rice Supply, the government must revisit the Solar-Powered Irrigation System program started in 2017 under the Duterte Presidency which is the fastest way of providing water to rice fields with the lowest cost;
7. Amend the Rice Tariffication Law which made the country Import-Dependent on Rice, a major blunder committed by the previous Economic Team under Finance Secretary Carlos G. Dominguez, and realign funds from tariffs to more effective programs to boost production rather than endless trainings and procurement of ineffective farm equipment.
These are measures which President Marcos Jr. would easily understand and appreciate since he has a profound understanding of Agriculture and Food Security.
Government must move decisively now, or else it will be too late.
#GovernanceIsCommonSense!
#shortsightednessisfatal!