Farmers group slams Marcos admin for continued rice importation

PHILIPPINES PROJECTED TO BE WORLD’S TOP RICE IMPORTER. Workers load sacks of imported rice from Thailand and Vietnam on a truck in Dagupan, Manila for transport to various dealers and distributors. The Philippines is expected to remain the world’s top importer of rice this year with the US Department of Agriculture predicting that the country would increase its procurement of the staple. INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines — Farmers organization Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women and rice watch group Bantay Bigas on Sunday criticized the Marcos administration for another round of rice importation this October.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Philippines has imported a total of 3.29 million metric tons (MT) of rice as of October 3, solidifying its position as the world’s largest rice importer.

Vietnam continues to be the Philippines’ top rice supplier, exporting 2.61 million MT, based on DA’s data with the same reference period. It is followed by Thailand with 416,185.19 MT and Pakistan, which supplied 157,564.48 MT. India shipped 76,971 MT of rice to the Philippines.

READ: PH remains world’s largest rice importer

Amihan secretary-general and Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo said the continued rice importation is neither a solution nor beneficial to farmers and poor consumers, as it only undermines Filipino farmers and the country’s self-sufficiency and food security.

According to Estavilla, the revenue lost due to imports could have been additional income for Filipino rice farmers if the government only prioritized local production to achieve rice self-sufficiency.

“The farm gate price of rice remains very low because traders are underpricing it, and the NFA is not buying directly from farmers. Instead of providing compensation and aid to farmers affected by successive calamities like El Niño, La Niña, typhoons, and floods, Marcos’s response has been importation. Importing rice is often done simultaneously with the harvest period, like in the recent case, which causes farmers to suffer losses,” she added in Filipino.

“We must oppose Marcos’ efforts to beg for food from other countries and his promotion of land grabbing and land-use conversion, which reduces land for food production,” Amihan’s statement read.