Gov't still in denial on rice crisis, says Sen. Roxas
Roxas
Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas has lashed out at the administration for continuing to deny the existence of a rice crisis saying the continued denial will delay the resolution of the problem.
"I believe the government is in denial because until now they refuse to admit that we have a problem," Roxas told reporters here on Saturday at the sidelines of a consultation on food and other issues at the Iloilo provincial capitol.
Roxas, chair of the Senate committee on trade and commerce and former Trade and Industry Secretary, said this "denial" can be seen in the pronouncements of top officials of the national government and the regional and provincial officers of the Department of Agriculture and National Food Authority.
"We can see that it is still regular, ordinary course of business for them. There is no extra or special program to address the country's shortage of rice and palay," he said.
During the consultation that was attended by farmers, traders and government officials, farmers group lamented the failure of the NFA to but enough rice and at a higher price compared to that of traders.
They also called for more funds for irrigation systems, post-harvest facilities and more accessible credit loans for farmers in order to boost production and raise the income of farmers.
Roxas said the funds being alloted by the DA and other agencies will not be enough to cover for the country's rice deficit estimated around 2 million metric tons.
"Until the top officials admit that we have a problem, the situation will persist. The problem existing this year will be repeated in the next year," said Roxas.
Roxas belittled the administration's P43-billion FIELDS program which is touted to be the long-term solution to rice and food supply concern.
FIELDS is an acronym for Fertilizer, Irrigation, Extension and education, Loans and insurance, Dryers and other post-harvest facilities, and Seeds and other genetic materials. The funds include P500 million for fertilizer especially organic-based and P6 billion yearly until 2010 for irrigation and another P6 billion for infrastructure.
Government has also alloted P2 billion for research and development, P1 billion each for capacity- building, trainers and technicians, and for an agricultural and fisheries education system.
Government financial institutions has also earmarked P15 billion for loans and insurance and P5 billion for loans for farmers. It will also spend P2 billion for dryers and post harvest facilities, another P2 billion for hybrid seeds and P6 billion for certified seeds.
The program was formulated after the recent national food summit to boost agricultural development and to address food security concerns.
But Roxas said it is not clear whether the P43 billion "is this new money or old money that has been repackaged out of the budget."
He said the P500 million intended for fertilizer support under the FIELDS program is not enough to cover the country's 4 million hectares of rice land and would only amount to P120 per hectare.
"That is tokenism... that is pakitang tao," said Roxas. "That's not even 10 percent of a bag of urea (fertilizer) which is selling at P1,500 per bag."
Roxas said that instead of spending around P60 billion to import rice from Thailand and Vietnam, the government should spend this for Filipino farmers.
"If that P60 billion is spent in the country, at least it will benefit Filipino farmers, not Thai farmers or Vietnamese farmers," he said.
Roxas said the rice importation strategy "is just band aid to meet the immediate urgent shortfall. But it does not solve our problem because next year we will have to import again and who knows what will be the price next year."
He said long-term solutions are needed including the revival of a rice self-sufficiency program.
"But we cannot do that if it just ordinary course of business."