spot_img
27.7 C
Philippines
Friday, March 29, 2024

Food agency comes under fire for ‘anti-poor’ trading strategy

- Advertisement -

BAYAN Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate on Sunday slammed the National Food Authority (NFA) plan to scrap the P27 per kilo NFA rice in favor of selling another rice variant at P32 per kilo.

“This is really anti-poor and the height of insensitivity as well as an added burden to consumers who are already overburdened by the skyrocketing prices of other commodities due to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion law,” he said.

“It does not make a difference when Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said that we should plant rice in Papua, New Guinea. The solution to the reduced agricultural land is to stop land use conversion and implement genuine land reform,” he added.

The NFA sells rice at P27 per kilo and P32 per kilo.

- Advertisement -

“The proposal also runs counter to the mandate of NFA, which is to ensure food security, and stabilize the supply and prices of staple cereals both in the farm and consumer level. You cannot ensure food security and stabilize prices by taking out the supply of affordable rice. On the contrary this would create instability and hardship to consumers,” Zarate said. 

- Advertisement -

LATEST NEWS

Popular Articles