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Palay farmgate price downs by P5/kilo
By J.Lo
“Unless government suspends or repeals EO 62, it will be very difficult because right now, we have been receiving reports that farmgate prices of palay have already dropped by at least P5 per kilo, and that will be expected to drop further, especially when we have main harvest toward last quarter of this year,” former agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor said farmgate price of palay has gone down by P5 per kilo amid issuance of Executive Order 62, lowers tariff on imported rice, as he projected further slump in buying price of staple during main harvest season in the last quarter of the year.
Farmers’ groups have asked Supreme Court to issue temporary restraining order (TRO) against EO 62 allowing reduced tariff of 15 percent on imported rice, as they asked that order be declared null and void and unconstitutional.
“Farmgate price of palay has been going down and collection of Bureau of Customs (BOC) has been decreasing, brought by EO 62…in the end, aside from difficulty of farmers to cope with lower prices of palay, lower tariff rates will not be felt in terms of lower prices of rice for our consumers,” Montemayor said.
With P5 drop in the farmgate price of palay, farmers are suffering losses, according to former agriculture chief.
“Farmers are earning less than minimum wage…if minimum wage in Metro Manila is P650 per day, in rural areas, it’s only half… hardly enough for most farmers to cope up with their daily subsistence requirement,” he said.
He stressed that aside from impact of EO 62, farmers are also being threatened by possible impact of La Niña.
“Right now, we have heard very little about what is being done to prepare our sector for likely effect of La Niña phenomenon and then there is man-made calamity… I am referring to tariff cuts brought about by EO 62, so farmers will be hit by double whammy, man-made calamity in form of tariff cut in imported rice and to be followed by natural calamity called La Niña,” Montemayor said.
The 26-page petition was filed by Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, Federation of Free Farmers, United Broiler Raisers Association, Sorosoro Ibaba Development Cooperative and Magsasaka party-list president Argel Joseph Cabatbat.
Named respondents were President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, National Economic and Development Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Tariff Commission Chairperson Marilou Mendoza.
Petitioners noted farmers were “shocked” that Bersamin signed EO 62, also known as “Modifying Nomenclature and Rates of Import Duty on Various Products,” last June 20.
Petitioners said they were never informed nor were they ever called for investigation about reduction of rice tariff.
For petitioners, EO 62 was hastily issued without consultation, investigation, hearings and reports, required by Republic Act 10863 or Flexible Clause of Customs Modernization and Tariff Act to be complied with before the President can validly make issuance of executive order involving tariff reduction.
For his part, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto does not expect SC to issue TRO against EO 62, saying there is no reason for high court to be involved in such matter.
“I do not think there is reason for courts to get involved in that,” Recto told reporters on sidelines of Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines-San Miguel Corp. economic forum.
Recto’s response came on heels of filing of petition before SC by various farmers’ groups to halt implementation of EO 62.
The finance chief said tariff cut would pull down retail rice prices to between P44.17 and P49.56 per kilo by December.
Current average price for imported well-milled rice is P53.45 per kilo while its locally produced counterpart averages P51.25 per kilo.
Recto said BOC would issue corresponding memorandum circular of EO 62. BOC usually issues counterpart circular for any tariff adjustments or modifications in order for such measures to take effect.
He would meet with BOC today and would ask Customs officials about status of memorandum circular.
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