Gov’t urged: Buy palay of ‘Lando’-hit farmers

THE GOVERNMENT should move quickly to help rice farmers whose crops were lost to Typhoon “Lando,” as palay prices in the affected areas have fallen below the price of animal feeds, according to the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura.

The umbrella group urged the National Food Authority (NFA) to buy immediately the storm-drenched palay in the hardest-hit areas, where farmers are not covered by any of the government’s comprehensive crop insurance and agricultural risk coverage programs.

“In these areas, feeds for animals is more expensive than human food,” Sinag chair Rosenso So told the Inquirer.

So said farmers in Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Pampanga and Isabela were forced to sell their “slightly damaged” palay for as low as P10-P11 per kilo, and yet very few rice traders were buying.

At the same time, the prevailing selling price of darak—feeds made from rice bran—hovered in the P13-P14 per kilo range.

Viability to industry

“The real help this government should provide our farmers is not the photo ops of their candidates distributing relief goods to typhoon victims but in ensuring the viability of the agriculture industry,” So said.

Sinag, which groups 33 farmer, agribusiness operator and party-list organizations together, said the NFA could force private-sector traders to increase their buying price if the agency started procurement at the mandated price of P17 per kilo of palay.

In a separate interview, NFA Administrator Renan B. Dalisay said the agency had sought the green light from the Office of the President and the Department of Budget and Management for the procurement of typhoon-damaged crops and for a supplemental fund of P350 million.

Dalisay said the NFA had a budget of about P4.2 billion yearly for its domestic procurement program.

“We need separate authorization to buy typhoon-damaged palay because in normal procurement, the NFA cannot buy palay that is above a certain threshold of moisture,” the NFA chief said.

Sinag said the government could also waive irrigation fees on rice farmers, which is around P2,000 per hectare in the areas Lando ravaged.

Possible incentives

“Instead of justifying the need for another rice importation bonanza that is only helping the rice industry of other countries, we appeal to the government to provide all possible incentives to help our rice farmers recover from Lando,” So said.

So was referring to plans being pushed by Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, who is seeking President Aquino’s support to import 1.5 million tons of milled rice in 2016, which is thrice the original plan of 500,000 tons.