The Department of Agriculture (DA) mentioned on Tuesday that bringing rice costs all the way down to P20 per kilo would rely available on the market even when the nation achieves its goal of 95% rice sufficiency.
DA Undersecretary Leocadio Sebastian made the response throughout questioning by House Deputy Minority Leader Mujiv Hataman of Basilan if the P20 per kilo or rice value was attainable if the DA achieved its purpose of 95 to 97% self-sufficiency by the top of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s time period in 2028.
“That is a market…[it] depends on the market on how it will play,” said Sebastian during the deliberations on the DA’s proposed P181 billion budget for 2024.
“If we are able to improve our value chain, reduce the cost of the post-harvest cost, reduce the cost of production, [it will] not [be] P20, but at least we can maintain a low price that is affordable.”
Sebastian defined that the post-harvest manufacturing value was the worth of each kilo of palay multiplied by two when it needs to be ideally at 1.5.
“I think our objective should be affordability for our population,” the Agriculture Undersecretary added.
Hataman countered that “affordability is very relative.”
“Dapat kasama sa self-sufficiency program ang presyo. Hindi simpleng available yung bibilhin, dapat affordable, lalo na DA Secretary ang Pangulo ang campaign promise ito ng Pangulo,” Hataman added.
(The self-sufficiency plan ought to embrace the worth. It is just not sufficient for the rice to be obtainable, it needs to be inexpensive, particularly because the President is the DA chief and that is his marketing campaign promise.)
“Iyong P20 per kilo [of rice], medyo mahirap,” responded Sebastian.
Hataman then pressed DA officers if bringing down rice costs to P20 per kilo was a part of the DA’s plan.
“We want to ensure good income for our farmers, that is our main objective,” Sebastian responded.
“Ang tinatanong ko, kung kasama sa plano,” said Hataman. “Bakit hindi natin sabihin ngayon kung bakit hindi kasama sa plano?”
Sebastian quoted the President and mentioned, “It is our aspiration.”
He later mentioned, “I cannot answer,” when Hataman requested if they might convey down rice costs to P20 per kilo.
Buffer inventory
During the identical listening to, Agriculture Undersecretary Mercedita Sombilla mentioned that the rice buffer inventory for this month and September was skinny, thus the necessity for imported rice to come back in by September 15.
“Manipis po kasi ang ating [rice] buffer [stock], and we are in the lean months. Nagha-harvest pa lang tayo,” Sombilla mentioned.
“The peak harvest time is mid-October to November, so we are hoping to get imports this month, up to September 15, to stabilize local prices,” Sombilla mentioned.
DA officers mentioned that the vary of rice costs per kilo was P40 to P60 per kilo.
Kabataan party-list Raoul Manuel additionally quizzed Sombilla if a P20 per kilo rice value was attainable within the subsequent two years.
Sombilla mentioned, “Baka mahirap po (That is likely to be tough).”
Manuel responded, “At least alam ng mga kababayan natin (at least, the public is informed).” — DVM, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
