More local producers may be discouraged to pursue farming and animal raising if unabated importation of goods continues until next year, according agriculture stakeholders.
“Poverty data from the Philippine Statistics Authority shows that poverty incidence occurs mostly among the farmers and fisherfolk. We encourage government policy-makers to re-assess contemporary decisions that were made or to be made regarding the importation which has been definitely affecting our domestic producers,” said Asis Perez, Tugon Kabuhayan’s convenor, in an online briefing yesterday.
The groups warned unabated importation can also threaten food security as the country will largely be dependent on foreign sources.
Raul Montemayor, national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers, said the Rice Tariffication Law’s (RTL) has failed to bring down prices of rice even as palay prices have gone down.
“We haven’t seen any significant changes since the RTL was passed. In the two years that the law came into effect, it resulted to a P56 -billion loss for our farmers. This should’ve lowered the retail price and passed the savings on to the consumers; instead the importers and traders pocketed the difference,” Montemayor said.
Rene Cerilla, legal and policy advocacy officer of Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka, said farmers have “sacrificed so much” from the RTL.
“Nowadays we are forced to sell our lands to pay off our debts. Our agricultural lands are being converted to industrial use instead of food production. The government doesn’t realize that without farmers, we are risking the country’s food security. Lack of food and malnutrition will make poverty in our country worse,” Cerilla said.
Jon Juico, president of the Philippine Tilapia Stakeholders Association, said the government’s policy of favoring importation over local production pulled down the farmgate price of tilapia.
“Tilapia farmgate price in Central Luzon plays between P64 to P65 per kilogram (kg) as compared to the P80 to P85 per kg last year. Many fishermen here in Central Luzon cannot compete and are driven further to debt. We used to harvest twice a year but now due to the pandemic we only harvest once a year.
Tilapia is always abundant here in Central Luzon, but if this trend continues many fish farmers will stop producing,” Juico warned. – Jed Macapagal