The Department of Agriculture (DA) yesterday assured supply of rice and corn, pork and chicken are very stable and that it does not expect any problem in the coming months.
This developed as the Task Force El Niño reported the worst of the effects of the phenomenon is expected this month and will persist until May.
The task force said a sudden oscillation neutral will be felt starting June.
“We don’t need to worry, just relax, sit back, and watch the show,” said DA Undersecretary Roger Navarro in a press briefing on food supply situation.
Navarro said based on the Rice Supply and Demand Outlook for 2024, rice supply in the country will be stable until the end of the year with an annual average surplus of 3.7 million metric tons or 99 days of buffer stock.
For corn, the supply is sufficient until the fourth quarter of 2024 with annual 42 days of buffer. The supply of pork is steady with annual surplus of 54 days while chicken supply is abundant with an annual stock that will last 181 days.
Eggs will also be adequate with an annual supply that will last 189 days. The same is true for onions, sugar and fish.
Navarro, however, acknowledged that despite the stable supply of rice, current prices are steady due to the high prices of farm outputs such as seed, and fertilizers, among others.
He said the current prices of rice in the country are around the same level as other countries in the region, including those that import rice to the Philippines.
P150M damage
Task Force El Niño spokesman Joey Villarama for his part said damage to agriculture due to the El Niño has reached around P150 million, with most of the damage felt in the Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula region.
Villarama said bulk of the damage was in rice (P141.24 million) and corn (P10.04 million).
He said the task force and other concerned government agencies are helping farmers affected by El Niño by providing farm inputs and implements to farmers in the two regions.
Villarama said the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, during a meeting of the Task Force, had reported the number of provinces affected by the El Niño has gone down to 41 from 50: 14 are experiencing drought, 10 are experiencing dry spell, and 17 are experiencing dry conditions.
The provinces experiencing drought are Apayao, Benguet, Cagayan, Cavite, Ifugao, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, La Union, Mountain Province, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Palawan, and Pangasinan.
Those under a dry spell are Abra, Aurora, Bataan, Isabela, Metropolitan Manila, Occidental Mindoro, Quirino, Rizal, Zambales, and Negros Occidental.
Provinces under dry condition are Batangas, Laguna, Masbate, Oriental Mindoro, Antique, Biliran, Capiz, Cebu, Eastern Samar, Guimaras, Iloilo, Leyte, Negros Oriental, Samar Lanao del Norte, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi.
He said the task force will continue implementing measures to mitigate the effects of the El Niño. These include continuing repairs of irrigation systems in affected areas to ensure efficient water supply to crops and the distribution of farm inputs and implements to farmers including in Western Visayas and Zamboanga Peninsula.
Villarama said government is also ready to provide alternative means of livelihood for the affected farmers.
Other agencies monitor
During the meeting, Task Force Chair and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. called on the members of the task force to work closely and ensure coordinated efforts not just for El Nino but also for other emergency and disaster concerns.
Teodoro said there is also a need to strengthen public information to engage people in preparedness measures.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), meanwhile, reported the water in dams is sufficient.
Yet, it advises the public to conserve water.
DENR also continues to monitor the water supply sources and has been working on the establishment of alternative water sources to prevent shortage.
The Department of Energy reported that interventions to ensure adequate energy supply are continuously being undertaken which include implementation of transmission projects, ensuring the integrity and reliability of the power grid, and enjoining the electric power industry to actively take part in El Nino mitigation efforts, among others.
The Department of Health said there is no disease outbreak caused by El Nino but the department is continuously ensuring the readiness of health facilities.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government for its part said it is continuously implementing programs and activities on environmental protection at the community level, law and order, and fire safety.
MAV under review
Meanwhile, Navarro said the current minimum access volume (MAV) for this year is up for discussion amid proposals to either remove or suspend it.
MAV provides low tariff to rice, corn, poultry and pork imports at a certain volume. It has been in effect for three years.
Navarro said local producers had been opposing the MAV which has provided some relief to traders who bring in imports and pay low taxes.
However, it has also been used for technical smuggling.
Navarro said there is a need to rationalize the MAV to benefit all sectors concern.
“These issues (are o)n the table for discussions. We know that MAV has been used for technical smuggling, so we need to stop technical smuggling. And one way to stop or eliminate technical smuggling is doing away with MAV),” he said.
Under Executive Order 50, there is a 10 percentage point tariff differential between imports inside and outside the MAV.