Marcos: Suspend rice tariffication

FILE PHOTO: Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

MANILA, Philippines — Presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday said he favored the suspension of the rice tariffication law, which had allowed the unimpeded importation of rice, as it had been detrimental to local farmers.

Marcos said the government turned to importation during the pandemic to keep rice prices stable, and it had been effective in this regard but had adverse consequences for the country’s rice producers.

“The problem with importation and the rice tariffication law is that it ravages the local agriculture,” Marcos said at the Agri 2022 online forum.

The government should lessen its reliance on importation and should instead focus on improving agriculture production, he said.