Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Ray Villafuerte on Sunday raised concern over a governmentt plan to lift the quantitative restrictions or quotas on rice imports and allow importation of private traders.
If such a plan pushes through, “palay farmers will be at the losing end,” Villafuerte said, adding the local rice producers do not have the capability to compete with the prices of imported rice.
“Is there any guarantee that the entry of cheap rice imports would lower the price of rice in the market? The government must provide safety nets to our farmer by helping them cut production and distribution costs, and other post-harvest expenses,” he said.
The Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, an umbrella organization of farmers, agri-business operators and party-list groups, also expressed alarm over the abolition of quantitative restrictions, he said.
Villafuerte was reacting to reports that the government supports the quota removal starting in 2017 in line with the country’s commitment as a member of the World Trade Organization.
WTO had allowed the country to extend its quantitative restrictions on rice several times since 1995. The latest extension will expire on June 30, 2017.