PHILIPPINE President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Thursday said his government is investing in more dryers, silos, warehouses, rice and corn mills and other agricultural equipment, whilst pushing partnerships between farmers and the private sector to boost food security.
“Because of this, we will reduce wasted rice and corn, lower food prices and make our farmers more productive,” Mr. Marcos said at the inauguration of the Sorosoro Ibaba Development Cooperative Grains terminal and trading project, a P270-million feed mill facility in Batangas City, streamed live on Facebook.
The Batangas facility can hold about 12,000 metric tons of corn or 480,000 sacks of feed for 100,000 pigs or almost 600,000 chickens, he said.
“With this, the storage of our corn will be better and our support for the poultry and livestock industry will be stronger,” the President said in Filipino.
He also vowed to support farmers and fisherfolk communities to sustain their livelihood.
“Let’s strengthen the partnership between the government, private sector and our farmers,” Mr. Marcos said.
The Department of Agriculture in February declared a food security emergency on rice, the latest effort by the government to lower the cost of the staple grain.
This allows the agency to release rice buffer stocks held by the National Food Authority (NFA) to stabilize prices and ensure that rice, a staple food for millions of Filipinos, remains accessible to consumers.
It cited the “extraordinary” increase in local rice prices despite the drop in global prices and the reduction in tariffs in July last year.
Under Republic Act No. 12708 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act, the Agriculture secretary can declare a food security emergency in case of rice supply shortages or extraordinary price spikes.
Under a food security emergency, the NFA would release its rice buffer stock to government agencies, local government units, and the KADIWA ng Pangulo program. — J.V.D. Ordoñez
