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THE Department of Agriculture (DA) is expediting nationwide consultations to finalize proposed amendments to Republic Act (RA) 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), that will curb high rice prices and support local farmers.

The department is aiming to address three issues: a decline in rice farmers' incomes due to the influx of cheap rice imports, retail prices not reflecting lower import costs and the country's increasing reliance on global grain markets.

“We cannot allow our farmers to be the casualties of market inefficiencies and unchecked speculation,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said on Monday.

“Our goal is a rice industry that rewards productivity, ensures stability, and protects both producers and consumers.”

The proposed revisions also seek the restoration of “calibrated state intervention” through the National Food Authority (NFA), which will regain limited authority to manage buffer stocks, regulate imports, and stabilize prices

The DA also wants to establish the Philippine Rice Industry Development Program, which will consolidate existing funds and come with an annual P30 billion allocation for productivity and resilience programs, sourced from tariff revenues.

Final consultation meetings were held in Cagayan de Oro on Monday and another will be held in Quezon City today. The DA hopes to submit the final draft to Congress and the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office before sessions resume on Nov 10.

The department said the initiative follows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s directive to improve the livelihood of farmers and ensure the availability of affordable, quality rice for all households in the country.

It added that the call for reforms gained momentum after hearings in the House of Representatives where lawmakers and stakeholders both agreed that the amendments to the RTL in 2024 through RA 12078 were insufficient.

Revisions to the RTL is also one of 44 priority measures endorsed by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council.

Source : msn