NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITITION.
Some 60,000 Boholano farmers are bracing for a rice crisis in what could affect the farmers income amidst a high harvest yield revenue supposedly during the coming harvest season.
This apprehension surfaced after the order of the price ceiling at P41 and P45 per kilo was implemented, as mandated under Executive Order No. 39 issued by President Marcos last August 31.
Domingo Salces, federated president of the National Irrigation System/Communal Irrigation System (NIS/CIS) said the ordered ceiling prices would greatly affect their palay selling price.
Salces said before the implementation of the order, the local traders would buy their palay at prices ranging from P26 to P30/kilo which was beneficial to the rice farmers bringing a substantial hike in their revenues.
However, farmers were saddened when instead of P26 to P30 per kilo, traders reduced their buying price to P21/kilo, or a big slash of P6 to P9 per kilo. This new buying price started last August 31, 2023, according to Salces.
This impending rice crisis was also expressed by rice vendors interviewed by the Chronicle last Tuesday at the City Central Market.
The vendors said it would be impossible for them to sell the rice at P41 or P45 per kilo as mandated by the Malacanang Executive Order 39 as they bought their stocks at a higher price.
However, it was observed that high end rice (Panda, red rice and the like) were sold as high as P60 per kilo since these rice were not covered by the order.
The federated president of more than 200 irrigators associations in Bohol said that he sees a good harvest this season as shown by the standing crop and based on the yield of the 5% among all Boholano rice farmers who harvested their planted rice.
Because of the forthcoming bountiful harvest, there is no reason for panic buying, he said.
Provincial Agriculturist Liza M. Quirog during the rice technicians’ meeting said the government will continue to come up with programs to help the farmers.
Quirog said the provincial government under the administration of Gov. Erico Aristotle C. Aumentado and Vice-Governor Dionisio Victor Balite, together with the Department of Agriculture have continued its program of giving free seeds and fertilizers to the more than 60,000 Boholano farmers.
She noted that these farmers, with an average age of 57 yrs old, have tilled the 184, 874 hectares (has.) of agricultural areas in the province with an average farm size of .05 ha. to feed the 1.4 million Boholano and 1.5 million tourist population annually
The Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) asked the rice technicians to help with the inventory of all the rice retailers, millers and warehouses in the province.
This developed after it was found out during the rice technicians’ meeting last Tuesday, that the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the National Food Authority (NFA) do not have any list of accredited rice retailers, warehouses and millers in Bohol which are vital for monitoring the prices and updating the supplies of rice.
Joel Lim from the NFA said that since 2019 when the Rice Tariffication Law was implemented in the country, the NFA has not given the authority to account, monitor, and update the accredited rice retailers, millers and warehouses. The agency was given just the task to do palay procurement program for buffer stocking for calamities, emergency situations and feeding programs.
Lim disclosed that their palay procurement program with the support price of P19/kilo could not entice rice farmers to sell their palay to NFA since local traders have higher support prices that range from P25 to P26 or even P30/kilo.
However, he said they have now closely coordinated with some Local Government Units (LGUs) like Ubay, Mabini and Calape who have provided subsidy in the amount of P2/kilo as an add-on price from their support price of P19/kilo of palay.
It was learned during the rice technicians’ meeting that most rice retailers in the province do not reduce the prices of their regular milled rice to P41/kilo and well-milled rice to P45/kilo in compliance with the Executive Order No. 39 by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. effective August 31, 2023.
Under Section 1 of the E.O. 39, the mandated price ceilings are regular milled rice at P41.00 per kilogram, and well-milled (P45.00/kilogram).
The imposition of the new price ceiliong will be in effect unless lifted by the President upon the recommendation of the Price Coordinating Council or the DA and the Department of Trade and Industry. (with reports from Atoy Cosap)