By RAYMOND AFRICA and JED MACAPAGAL
Two executive orders (EOs) easing imports on rice and pork should be accompanied by a strong strategy on food security and price stability, industry stakeholders said yesterday.
Senator Grace Poe urged the government’s economic team to ensure the EOs can keep prices of pork and rice affordable for ordinary consumers, even as she acknowledged those tariff cuts will lead to foregone revenues that could impact next year’s national budget.
“Our people expect the government’s economic team to live up to their avowed tenet of fiscal responsibility by seeing to it that actual benefits trickle down to Filipino families and not just to importers,” Poe said.
EO 135 temporarily reduced the most favored nation tariff rates on rice to 35 percent from 40 percent for in-quota imports and 50 percent for out-quota imports for a period of one year.
EO 134 modified the tariff rates to 10 percent on imported pork under the minimum access volume (MAV) for the first three months and to 15 percent in the next nine months.
Duty on imports outside MAV would be at 20 percent for the first three months and 25 percent in the succeeding months.
Data from the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) Bantay Presyo as of yesterday showed the prevailing price of pork kasim stood at P340 per kg.
The price of imported selections of special rice was P52 per kg.; premium rice, P45 per kg; well-milled, P44 per kg while that of local selections of special rice was at P50 per kg; premium at P46 per kg; well-milled at P40 per kg.; and regular milled at P38 per kg.
Agricultural lobby group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) meanwhile appealed to the Senate to revoke or amend EO 135, saying the order has no basis.
In a letter dated yesterday to senators Vicente Sotto III, Imee Marcos and Cynthia Villar, SINAG chair Rosendo So said there is no urgent need to augment rice supply by lowering tariffs.
So said rice imports from Thailand and Vietnam are enough to cover the supply gap.
The DA meanwhile said it will continue to support research that will control and manage transboundary crop pests and diseases that adversely impact on agriculture.
“We need to enhance higher levels of food sufficiency and security because of the global distortion that is happening due to the COVID-19 (new coronavirus disease-2019) pandemic. We believe the academic and science sector, like the done by the University of the Philippines-Los Baños’ National Crop Protection Center need to be continuously relevant in helping transform Philippine agriculture, in general,” said DA Secretary William Dar.
The DA cited the warning raised by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations that the spread of transboundary plant pests and diseases has increased dramatically in recent years due to globalization, trade, climate change and reduced resilience in production systems.
The agency said among the transboundary plant pests and diseases being watched closely include locusts, armyworm, fruit flies, banana diseases, cassava diseases and wheat rusts.
The Tugon Kabuhayan has also asked government to provide the Philippine Statistics Authority with more policy support and budget so it can collect data more efficiently from municipal waters and from aquaculture.
“Municipal fishing is all over the country and how do you estimate those caught in far-flung areas like in Basilan. In aquaculture, estimates for example in Taal Lake are far from actual numbers,” said Norbert Chingcuanco, the group’s co-convenor.
Chingcuanco said reliable data will guide the country what and when to produce and help authorities evaluate if importation is indeed necessary for a certain commodity and specific season.” Chingcuanco said.
