MANILA -- Several farmer groups held a protest action at the central office of the Department of Agriculture on Friday, hitting what they said were 'empty promises' of the agency.
Farmers' groups say reduced rice import tariff ineffective in tempering prices
They slammed Executive Order 62 that lowered the import tariff for rice, which they said was not effective in lowering the market price of the staple.
Danilo Ramos, long-time peasant leader and now a candidate in the Makabayan Senate slate, said this is not the real solution to the country's rice problems.
"Ang pangako ng gobyerno, bababa ang presyo ng bigas 5-7 pesos ngayong July, hindi natuloy. Agosto, Setyembre, hindi pa rin natuloy. Sabi sa huli ay sa Enero. Ito po ay panlilinlang sa taumbayan, kaya mahalaga ang aming panawagan ay palakasin ang lokal na production," Ramos told ABS-CBN News.
(The government promised that rice prices will go down by P5-7 pesos this July, it didn't happen. By August and September, it also didn't happen. And then they said it will go down by January. They are deceiving the public. We call for the strengthening of local production as a long-term solution.)
Rice down by as much as P7 a kilo by Jan: Agri dept
Ramos said that if proper solutions are implemented, lowering of rice prices to P25 per kilo can really be achieved.
"Kaya ang 25 pesos kada kilo. Hindi Kadiwa, hindi EO62 ang solusyon, ang kailangan tulong kompensasyon mula sa pamahalaan," he added.
(P25/kilo of rice can be achieved. It's not Kadiwa, it's not EO62 that will solve our woes. What we need is aid and compensation from the government.)
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