Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
In a press conference today led by consumer watchdog Bantay Bigas, farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said the Department of Agriculture (DA) is tasked to address steadily rising prices of food stuff including vegetables, pork, chicken, fish and others. Aside from rice, the prices of major food products have increased in the past days based on various market monitoring.
“Ang DA ang may poder sa produksyon ng bigas at pagkain at siya ring may pangunahing responsibilidad na tiyak na may sapat at abot-kayang suplay ng bigas at pagkain sa bansa. Pero ano ang ginagawa ng DA at ng Kalihim nito,” says KMP’s Rafael Mariano as he noted the DA’s failure to address the ensuing food crisis.
“We see further worsening of the food crisis and food inflation in the coming months and not even the NEDA can cover-up this reality,” Mariano said.
KMP supports the “Apat na Dapat para sa Rice Self-Sufficiency” as proposed by Bantay Bigas and its networks:
(1) Preserve and expand rice farms and land devoted to rice and food production, cultivate idle lands and stop the conversion of agricultural lands;
(2) Grant sufficient aid and production subsidies, support services, free irrigation, post-harvest facilities and market support to rice farmers;
(3) Stop import liberalization and other neoliberal policies, junk the following: Rice Liberalization Law, World Trade Organization–Agreement on Agriculture, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and importation orders
(4) Enact genuine agrarian reform and the Food Security Bills filed in Congress. (HB 1161 Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill or GARB and HB 405 or Rice Industry Development Act RIDA.
“DA’s theatrics and pro-importation policies are not working. President and Agri Secretary Marcos Jr. must show an ounce of genuine political will in resolving the rice and food crisis. After all, it was he who promised to achieve the P20 per kilo of rice.”
RIDA is the key
KMP said the proposed Rice Industry Development Act or RIDA contains comprehensive doables on how to achieve 100% rice self-sufficiency.
“Layunin ng RIDA na makamit ang food security na nakabatay sa self-sufficiency at self-reliance. Ito ay sa pamamagitan ng suporta sa mga magsasaka, pagpapaunlad ng imprastruktura, at pagpapatupad ng mga patakarang magbibigay proteksyon sa mga sakahan,magsasaka at industriya. Kaakibat nito, ang pag-angat sa kabuhayan ng mga magsasaka at maiangat ang mga nakalubog sa kahirapan, mabigyan sila ng suportang presyo sa palay, isama sila sa pagbubuo ng desisyon, at sa kalaunan, sila mismo ang mamahala sa mga pasilidad na integral sa produksyon.”
“Sa pangkalahatan, layunin ng RIDA na itaguyod ang isang sistemang nag-uugnay sa mga magsasaka at mamamayan, para tiyakin ang ang mababang presyo ng bigas sa merkado. mga magsasaka, ng mga Core Programs nito, laluna ang mga maralitang magsasaka na nagsasaka ng 3 ektarya pababa, at nasa ilalim ng Poverty Line, bilang mga Special Beneficiaries; at mga maralitang mamamayan, bilang konsyumer sa ilalim ng nare-istrukturang lokal na merkado.”
“Ang tatlong core programs ng RIDA ay ang mga sumusunod: 1) Production Support Program, 2) Rice Production Socialized Credit Program at ang 3) Farm Inputs Support Program kung saan makukuha ang binhi, abono,kagamitan at iba pang inputs sa mas mababang presyo o libre sa mga special beneficiaries ng programa.”
KMP said there should be an effective Accelerated Infrastructure Development Program, Accelerated Irrigation Development Program and Post-Harvest Facilities Development Program to increase the rice productivity and yield of farmers. ###
