The possible setting of the floor price for palay procurement is important to maintain the cropping intention of local farmers, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Tuesday.
DA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa made this remark amid the ongoing investigation in 32 areas in Luzon and Mindanao due to the low buying price of traders from local farmers, which went below PHP15 per kg.
De Mesa said the suggested floor price for palay (unhusked rice) will cover not only the National Food Authority (NFA) but also the traders’ buying price.
“This is very important doon sa punto na iyong ating mga magsasaka kapag sigurado sila na iyong kanilang itatanim ay mabibili sa presyo na sila ay kikita ng maganda or sabihin natin na sapat, mas mai-engganyo sila na magtanim ulit sa susunod na (to the point that our farmers will be assured that their crops will be bought at a profitable or reasonable price, and they will be motivated to plant again for the next) cropping season,” he said in a media interview.
“Ito yung binabanggit ulit ni Secretary (Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.) na cropping intention, planting intention ng ating mga magsasaka (this is what the Secretary has been mentioning as the cropping intention, planting intention of our farmers).”
He said they will explore possible legal ways under the Price Act, Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Law, and other enabling laws.
De Mesa added this policy has been implemented in other countries to protect their local farmers from unscrupulous traders.
“Ito iyong sa farmgate na level na tinitingnan ano iyong floor plan. Actually, hindi lang ito sa Pilipinas (This is the one at the farmgate level looking at what the floor plan is. Actually, this is not just in the Philippines). It’s being practiced in some other countries like India and other countries may (that have) support price. Thailand is doing this,” he said.
Besides the study on the possible setting of the floor price for palay, the DA earlier vowed to prioritize areas with low palay procurement.
These include Bataan, Cagayan, Allacapan, Kalinga, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, and Quirino in Cagayan Valley; Compostela Valley in Southern Mindanao; and Sultan Kudarat in Central Mindanao, which have the lowest traders’ price at PHP13.50 per kg of palay. (PNA)
