The Philippines can import rice from Argentina
Philippines – Faced with high domestic rice prices, the Philippines is considering importing Philippine staple rice to South America.
Foreign Minister Enrique Manalo and Santiago Andres Cafiero, Argentina’s minister of foreign affairs, international trade and religion, discussed the possibility of imports during their meeting at Palacio San Martin in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.
A press release issued to the media yesterday said the ministers “also considered the possibility of the Philippines importing rice from Argentina” but did not provide further details.
Thailand and Vietnam are the two main sources of rice imports into the Philippines this year, with the country’s current rice imports currently at 2.33 million tons – 4.46% from Thailand and 89.85% from imported goods.hundred tons of Vietnam.
Manalo is currently on a historic visit to Buenos Aires at the invitation of the Secretary to commemorate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Argentina.US Department of Agriculture, in its latest report “Cereals:
The World Trade and Markets Report predicts that Philippine rice imports will reach 3.8 million tons in the 2023-2024 marketing year, surpassing China as the world’s largest rice importer – a projection report that rice watchdog Bantay Bigas blamed President Marcos.He said although the country’s imports will increase, China’s imports will decrease to only 3. 5 million tons.
“President Marcos must be held responsible because he is the main proponent of why the Philippines is now considered the number one rice importer while continuing to kill the local agriculture industry,” said spokesman Bantay Bigas, Cathy Estavillo said yesterday.
“Since he came to power, imports have always come out of Marcos’s mouth because he even begged other countries to import rice regardless of the country’s ability to produce rice,” Estavillo added.
She noted that Marcos failed to expand local rice production due to the lack of a comprehensive program to promote national food security and the country’s self-sufficiency.
“Despite the October harvest, an additional 500 million tons of rice imports from India will arrive,” Estavillo said, noting that Marcos has also asked for a five-year rice supply agreement with Vietnam, “with This means that the flood of imported rice will continue.”
Blame the economic managers
Furthermore, former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol yesterday blamed economic leaders for the country’s dependence on rice imports.
“This is a very harmful development.
As long as the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is here, we have our own rice research organization, but now we are the largest rice importer when we have enough land.
It is emblematic of the mistaken belief of our economic managers – that our farmers do not have the capacity to produce more,” Piñol said.
He stated that economic managers had to resort to imports because they felt that the country did not have enough rice growing area to ensure adequate rice supply when there were at least 4.9 million hectares under rice cultivation, bringing The average yield per hectare is 4 meters.
meters.ton.
“Is it possible that we can increase the production in these areas?
Yes, because right now in Nueva Ecija, the normal yield is at 10 tons per hectare.
You increase the productivity of the farmers by simply using good seeds, high yielding seeds, enough irrigation, correct fertilization, reasonable farmgate price to motivate the farmers to plant more and of course mechanization,” Piñol stressed.
Piñol also reiterated the need to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) or Republic Act 11203 to return the powers of the National Food Authority (NFA).
“The NFA has no power to inspect warehouses, it is now being done by the Bureau of Customs.
But you must understand that the inspection will be limited to imported rice (and) will not include rice purchased locally and stored by traders,” he said.
He added that the promise of RTL supporters that the retail price of rice would decrease by 7 pesos per kilogram did not materialize.
“Former President (Rodrigo) Duterte was convinced to approve the RTL because at the time, (Finance) Secretary (Carlos) Dominguez said prices would decrease if the RTL was approved.Of course, that didn’t happen.Currently, the rice industry is controlled by the rice corporation.It (RTL) should be changed.
