President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday expressed optimism that the costs of rice will stabilize with the beginning of harvest in main palay-producing areas within the nation.
In a press release from the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), Marcos, who’s the Agriculture Secretary, mentioned the beginning of harvest in Nueva Ecija, Isabela and North Cotabato would increase the provision of rice within the nation.
“So I think pagka ‘yung supply natin ay dumami at humaba ang ating reserve ay mag-stabilize na ang ating mga presyo. Babantayan namin nang mabuti para tiyakin na ganon ang mangyari,” the President said.
(So I think when the supply increases and the reserve expands, the price of rice will stabilize. We will closely monitor to ensure that this indeed would happen.)
According to reports, prices of rice have gone up to as much as P40 to P50 per kilo in some markets.
Marcos said the government is closely monitoring the supply and the increasing prices of rice as well as the farmgate price and importation, which he said contributed to the increasing prices.
Department of Agriculture (DA) Undersecretary Dr. Leo Sebastian said the initial harvest of palay from Isabela, Nueva Ecija and North Cotabato produce around 900,000 metric tons.
The initial harvest of palay from the current wet season crop will take place until September, he added.
“Palay harvest will peak in late September to October, contributing largely to the nation’s second semester (July to December) manufacturing, estimated at greater than 11 million metric tons (MMT),” he said.
Sebastian said the DA is aiming to harvest up to 11.5 million MT during the second semester.
“Barring robust typhoons within the coming months which will adversely have an effect on Central and Northern Luzon, we’re aiming to reap as much as 11.5 MMT within the second semester of the 12 months,” he said.
“This would breach the 20-million MT whole nationwide palay manufacturing, making it a file, being the very best within the nation’s historical past,” he added.
Palay harvest season is expected to start September until November, according to the PCO.
Lowering the price of rice to P20 per kilo was among Marcos’ campaign promises in the 2022 elections. In March this year, he maintained his promise as he expressed optimism that it will be achieved gradually.
“Makikita ninyo ‘yung bigas, ang aking pangarap na sinabi na bago ako umupo na sana maipababa natin ang presyo ng bigas ng P20, hindi pa tayo umaabot doon… dahan-dahan palapit, nasa P25 na tayo, kaunti na lang maibababa natin ‘yan,” Marcos had mentioned.
(You can see that the value of rice, my dream of reducing its worth to P20, we aren’t but there… however we’re already at P25, we’re near additional lowering its worth.)
For Marcos, the cheaper price of rice can be achieved by fixing the worth chain, which refers back to the phases concerned in producing a services or products that’s bought to customers, with every state including to the worth of the services or products. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA Integrated News
Source: www.gmanetwork.com
