Romualdez hopes P35/kilo NFA rice will not put farmers at a disadvantage

Speaker Martin Romualdez welcomed on Wednesday the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) initiative to set the National Food Authority (NFA) rice price at P35 per kilo, saying it will help ensure food security for Filipinos.

However, alongside this positive development, Romualdez stressed the government must also guarantee fair income for farmers to sustain local rice production.

“Ensuring that rice remains affordable is crucial for our consumers. However, we must also ensure that our farmers receive fair compensation for their hard work,” the Speaker said.

Romualdez highlighted the importance of balancing consumer needs with the welfare of farmers, saying that this is very important for the benefit of all stakeholders.

“The ideal situation is to maintain a high farmgate price that provides the right income for our farmers while ensuring that the price of rice in the market is affordable for consumers,” he said in Tagalog.

Romualdez assured the public that Congress will monitor the implementation of this pricing strategy.

“We will closely observe how this policy unfolds and determine if additional government interventions are necessary to sustain it,” he noted.

He emphasized the potential role of subsidies and government support programs, saying, “the Lower House is ready to study the possible subsidy or targeted assistance programs to ensure that our farmers do not suffer losses while rice remains affordable for the public.”

Romualdez also called for strong coordination between the DA and NFA with lawmakers to ensure that the policy does not negatively impact local rice farmers.

“I urge the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority to work closely with Congress to ensure that this policy does not unintentionally discourage local rice production,” he said. “The end goal is food security – one that benefits both farmers and consumers.”

Romualdez also pointed out the need to continuously assess the policy’s impact. He encouraged open dialogue among stakeholders in the agriculture sector. The lawmaker further emphasized that Congress is ready to step in if adjustments are needed.

“We are committed to finding solutions that uphold the welfare of our farmers while ensuring that every Filipino has access to affordable rice,” Romualdez said.