‘Slight’ rice price drop noted as more farm support urged

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said prices of commercial rice have slightly gone down in the last two weeks after farmers in rice-producing provinces began harvesting their crops.

“We hope that the harvests will continue,” said Alcala, who opened this year’s Makina-Saka, an agricultural machinery roadshow of the Department of Agriculture (DA), on Tuesday.

He said what pushed rice prices higher was the disruption of the delivery of middle-priced rice supply to traders because of the rain.

Sen. Loren Legarda, in a statement, said what farmers need is more support mechanisms to increase their productivity.

“What is certain is that government should spend more for irrigation development programs that will increase productivity,” said Legarda in her statement, reacting to previous reports that local rice supply is running low amid the DA’s refusal to allow the private sector to import the staple.

Commercial rice prices shot up from P32 a kg to P35 a kg. A local rice trader said the price has gone down to P34 a kg.

“The system in the delivery of middle-priced rice changed. Before, even middle-priced rice [supply] came from imported rice. But now, for the first time, the volume of imported rice is low,” Alcala said.

In a speech before farmers and agriculture officials from several regions, Alcala said last year, the country imported 205,000 metric tons of rice, compared to the 2.4 million MT it imported in 2010.

“What we imported last year were used by the NFA (National Food Authority) as buffer. So middle-priced rice now comes from locally produced palay,” he said.

Despite the anticipated huge volume of palay, consumers should not expect a return of rice prices to the P32 level because supply would now come from local harvests, he said.

“Our farmers, who are here today, can tell you that we have better rice,” said Alcala. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon