THE Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas on Sunday urged the government to help rice farmers amid several issues besetting the industry, including reports on fake rice, high rice prices in Marawi, and the expiration of the quantitative restriction on rice importation.
“The rice industry remains in severe crisis despite programs and policies boasting rice self-sufficiency. Landlessness remains a chronic problem of rice farmers,” the KMP said in a statement.
“Our agriculture remains vulnerable to calamities brought about by typhoons. Agricultural products are undervalued, thus farmers endures low income and wages, resulting into deep poverty and indebtedness,” the militant group added.
KMP said lowering the rice prices in the local market as well as reports of rice shortage have been used by the government to justify grain importation.
Massive importation, however, has resulted in price increases and rampant rice smuggling, the KMP said.
Last week, the National Food Authority assured the public that there is no fake rice in the country.
NFA Administrator Jason Aquino made the statement to settle the controversy sparked by social media posts alleging the sale of fake rice in local markets.
“There is no fake rice. We appeal to the media to help us disseminate the correct information on the fake rice issue,” Aquino said.
Aquino said the NFA has already prepared flyers to help educate consumers on the issue.
The NFA chief backed his statement with test results submitted by the Food Development Center, which checked samples of alleged fake rice in different parts of the country.
FDC director Jocelyn Sales gave a presentation on the tests made, based on microscopic, starch, and sensory analysis. The tests disputed claims that the samples are fake.
“All these prove that there is no fake rice in the Philippines. To those who could not get over whether this is real or fake rice, give samples to the NFA,” Sales said.
Sales said trained specialists at the FDC taste-tested the cooked rice samples and found them to have no chemical traces or off-odor and taste to suggest artificial additives.