President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday assured farmers that the government will protect the buying price of palay and lower agricultural input costs, amid concerns over the administration’s push to bring rice prices down to ₱20 per kilo.
During a dialogue with local agriculture stakeholders in the Science City of Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, a known agricultural hub, President Marcos responded to questions about low farmgate prices and high production costs.
Mr. Marcos emphasized that despite plans to lower retail rice prices for consumers, the government will maintain the current National Food Authority (NFA) buying price for palay at ₱19 to ₱23 per kilo for dry palay and ₱18 for wet palay.
“We will not lower the buying price,” the President said, adding that the support will not be limited to procurement but will also focus on reducing production costs through government interventions.
He cited Department of Agriculture (DA) efforts to centralize the procurement of fertilizers and pesticides to leverage bulk purchasing, which is expected to drive down costs for farmers.
“Instead of you buying it, the DA will buy it so we can save money,” he explained. “All costs for the inputs we make will help,” the President added.
He also highlighted the role of newly operational soil laboratories across the country, which will provide scientific guidance on fertilizer usage and soil management to prevent waste and improve yield.
“Now, we have [soil labs], that will help,” he said, noting that accurate soil analysis will help farmers apply just the right amount of fertilizer and allow them to rest overworked land when needed.
President Marcos further announced that the NFA will resume its procurement of corn alongside rice, a move that aligns with its original mandate and aims to support corn farmers.
“Whatever the price in the market, that’s not connected,” he stressed. “We will ensure that the livelihood of our farmers is sufficient… that they can feed their families and send their children to school,” the President added.
The President also inaugurated a new rice processing system (RPS) and distributed farming machinery to agriculture stakeholders in the Science City of Muñoz in Nueva Ecija.
The activity is part of ongoing government efforts through the Department of Agriculture to modernize agribusinesses by improving rice production and uplifting the working conditions of Filipino farmers.
The newly opened RPS facility is a project of the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech). It was implemented under the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) Mechanization Program.
The post-harvest infrastructure reportedly features cutting-edge machines capable of processing two to three tons of rice per hour. It includes rice mills, dryers, and automated packing systems to benefit about 6,000 farmers covering 9,200 hectares of rice fields.
At least 17 farmers’ cooperatives also received new farming equipment such as tractors and harvesters to assist them in their livelihoods.
