The so-called “emergency palay procurement” ordered by Malacañang and the Department of Agriculture (DA) is a too little, too late gesture that will not rescue farmers from the severe losses they are already suffering this harvest season. “Once again, the government is scrambling with stop-gap measures instead of delivering decisive and long-term solutions to the perennial crisis of rice farmers.”
Across Luzon, especially in major rice-producing provinces like Nueva Ecija, Tarlac, Isabela, Pangasinan, and Cagayan Valley, farm-gate prices of palay have plummeted to P6 to P10 per kilo for wet palay and only P13 to P14 per kilo for sun-dried harvests. Farmers are at the mercy of traders’ “take it or leave it” modus, forcing them to sell palay at exploitative prices because there are no viable alternatives and no real government support.
In Guimba town in Nueva Ecija, the rice granary of the Philippines, more than 80 percent of palay has already been harvested, meaning most farmers were compelled to sell their harvest at rock-bottom prices before the government’s procurement program can take effect. This exposes the failure of the DA and Malacañang to act sincerely and in a timely manner. “Aanhin pa ang damo, patay na ang kabayo, sabi nga,” Danilo Ramos of KMP said.
Palay farmer Alfonso Cardon from Barangay Lennec, Guimba lamented their condition and appealed for urgent support: “Lalo kaming naghihirap. Hindi na kami makaahon, sinagad na hanggang leeg. Mas mahirap pa ang kalagayan namin kaysa sa kalabaw na nakalublob. Hindi na binabayaran ang pagod namin. Sana dinggin ang panawagan ng mga magsasaka. Kawawang-kawawa ang mga magsasaka.”
Another palay farmer, Arman Saguin from Barangay Maturanoc, said he rejected the traders’ buying price of P8 per kilo of palay. “Ayoko ang presyo (ng trader) na tinawaran lang ng P8 (per kilo). Ibinilad ko na lang para makuha pa sa mas magandang presyo,” he said. Saguin harvested only 50 cavans of palay in his one-hectare farm.
The range of palay buying price based on KMP’s monitoring (as of Oct1-2) are the following:
P7/kilo Aurora
P7-8/kilo Bulacan (San Miguel)
P8/kilo Isabela (Alicia)
P8/kilo Ilocos Norte
P9/kilo Laguna
P9-10/kilo Zambales
P10/kilo Camarines Sur
P 10/kilo Quezon province
P 10.50-11/kilo Nueva Vizcaya
P 10/kilo Isabela (San Manuel)
P 10-11/kilo Pangasinan (San Quintin)
P 10.50/kilo Nueva Ecija (Pantabangan)
P 10-11.60/kilo Pangasinan (San Quintin)
P 11/kilo Iloilo
P 12/kilo Palawan
P 14/kilo Bataan
The DA’s announced buying price of 17 per kilo for wet palay is still inadequate. Farmers assert that the acceptable buying price must be at least P20 per kilo and higher, in line with production costs and to ensure that farmers actually earn from their labor. Anything lower subsidizes traders and millers while pushing farmers further into poverty.
The Marcos Jr. administration continues to show its abandonment of local rice farmers. Instead of a half-baked emergency procurement and publicity stunts, what is needed is a genuine program to strengthen local rice production.
First and foremost, there must be a reversal of liberalization and import-dependent policies that have destroyed local agriculture and kept farmers poor. What farmers need is a comprehensive program to strengthen local rice production. Measures that include institutionalized palay support prices that guarantee incomes, and NFA’s political will to buy directly from farmers at fair and just prices. Rice farmers also need expanded post-harvest facilities including mechanical dryers, storage, and transport, so that farmers are not forced to sell cheap to traders.
updates from the peasant movement of the Philippines 