Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) today urged Congress to probe the unprecedented increase in palay prices as reported by a miller in Bulacan. Miller Tony Santos claimed that they bought palay prices ranging from P34 to P36 in Bulacan and such record-high prices caused the recent increase in rice prices. Rice millers said that rice prices could even reach up to P60 per kilo.
According to Danilo Ramos, it is hard to believe that P34 per kilo is the prevailing price of palay when based on KMPโs monitoring of the latest palay prices, the palay price in Malolos, Bulacan is at P20 per kilo, P21 to P22 per kilo in Isabela, P20 per kilo in Mindoro Occidental. โ๐ป๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐34 ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ,โ Ramos said.
โIt is in the interest of consumers and the public to know if there is a syndicated price manipulation and speculation going on to justify the increase in retail prices of rice,โ Ramos said.
โWhile we advocate the buying of palay directly from rice farmers at just prices, we do not agree with the argument of millers that an increase in palay prices is the ultimate reason for high rice prices. We must realize that there is an existing cartel within the domestic rice industry dominated by importers, traders, millers, and corrupt officials within the DA,โ the KMP leader said.
KMP points to RA 11203 or the Rice Liberalization Law and the governmentโs neoliberal policy of importation and agricultural trade liberalization as the culprits behind the increasing rice prices. โThe governmentโs rice liberalization law crippled the National Food Authorityโs rice buffer stocking mandate and allowed the private sector to take over the entire rice industry, thereby putting rice farmers and consumers at the mercy of the rice cartel,โ Ramos added.
KMP reiterated that the Marcos Jr government must do away with its importation policy especially with the very volatile rice supply and price situation after Indiaโs export ban and strained rice supply in Asia due to the effects of El Nino.
โ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ . ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ขโ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐บ2๐บ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ธ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐. ๐ป๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ข๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก ๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ .โ
Experts have warned that Indiaโs latest rice export ban could trigger a global food crisis and cause mayhem in the markets. True enough, right after India declared last July 20, 2023, that it will ban exports of non-basmati rice, the global rice price index surged to over 12-year highs while prices of internationally-traded food commodities including wheat, vegetable oil, and sugar have risen for the first time in months.
Vietnam has announced a plan to switch exports to higher quality rice, effectively cutting rice exports from the current 7.1 million tonnes to 4 million tonnes by 2030; the switch will happen gradually from 2023 onwards. Thailandโs 2023 rice output may drop by as much as 6%, to between 25.1 and 25.6 million tonnes, due to the impacts of El Niรฑo
India, Thailand, and Vietnam account for more than half the global rice export (approximately 21, 6, and 5 million tonnes respectively in 2021). Production declines due to El Nino will have huge implications on the supply of rice not only in Southeast Asia but across the world. ###
