Bongbong Marcos says no rice crisis expected but gov’t still open to import

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Wednesday ruled out the occurrence of a rice crisis in the country in the coming lean months, despite the warning of a farmers group.

The Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) earlier warned that the country could experience a deficiency in the supply of rice during the lean months of July to September, which would be a repeat of the problem five years ago.

While Marcos said that supply may decrease, no rice crisis is expected.

“No. I don’t,” he said in a chance interview with reporters in Bulacan if he expects a rice crisis as warned by the FFF.

“There is a chance na ninipis talaga ‘yung supply because nga nung magkasabay-sabay ‘yan. So we are watching and waiting to see what the production levels are going to be after the last planting season before the harvest, for the upcoming harvest,” Marcos added.

(There is a chance that our supply will decrease.)

However, he said that the supply of rice will be sufficient once farmers harvest their crop.

“Basta if all things remain equal, we have enough supply and that we’ll be able to keep the prices stable,” the President said.

He, however, admitted that there may be a need to import rice to ensure enough supply before the harvest season.

“It is in the dry part where we are waiting for the last planting to be harvested. So ‘yun ang tinitingnan natin. We may have to import. We’re keeping that option open,” Marcos said.

(So that’s what we’re looking at.)

He also expressed concern how the rice buffer stock of the National Food Authority (NFA) is currently too low and the government is looking for ways to increase it without affecting the market price of rice.

Marcos pointed out that the NFA is only allowed to buy stocks from local producers.

“Ngayon, kung sasabay tayo sa harvest season na bumili, ang NFA, tataas ang presyo ng bigas. Kaya’t ‘yun ang pino-problema ngayon namin. Paano natin gagawin ‘yun? Saan natin kukunin ‘yung pang-replenish doon sa NFA,” he said.

(If the NFA buys during the harvest season, the price of rice will increase because the demand will increase. That’s what we’re facing right now, how can we replenish the stock of NFA?)

“We have to have that buffer stock and that’s the problem that we are wrestling with now dahil talagang binabantayan natin ang mga presyo ng mga agricultural commodities. Siyempre, lalong-lalo na ang bigas,” the President added.

(We are monitoring the prices of agricultural products, especially rice.)

READ: NFA should increase rice buffer stock, Marcos says

JMS