Agri dept rolls out cheaper 'Rice for All' at P43 a kilo

The government is selling P43 per kilo rice in Kadiwa stores. Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News

MANILA - Cheaper rice at P43 per kilo is now available in Kadiwa stores of the Department of Agriculture starting October 11, Friday. This is P2 lower than the initial selling price of P45 per kilo under the Rice for All program. 

The program kicked off in a Kadiwa store in Barangay Daang Bakal in Mandaluyong City. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he is happy with the warm reception of the public to the program.

Tiu Laurel said the department will not be shelling out money to subsidize the rice, as this is the actual price from farmers directly sold to consumers.

"Ang 43 pesos ay no subsidy, ibig sabihin yan ang presyo na hindi malulugi ang gobyerno at Kadiwa. Yan ang presyo na kaya paikutin, hindi malulugi, hindi budol yan, hindi kalokohan yan. Ako negosyante ako, ayaw ko subsidy if possible," Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

(We don't subsidize the rice. This is the price where we will not lose earnings. The price is direct from farmers. I am a businessman too, I don't like subsidies.)

The Agri chief hopes the program will be sustainable as they have already enough stock to sell until February next year, despite more Kadiwa stores opening across Metro Manila soon.

There is no limit to purchases of the P43 rice, but Tiu Laurel appeals to the public to only buy what their families can consume.

"Pakiusap ko lang sa Rice for All, wag abusuhin, baka ibenta sa ibang lugar na mahal. Pakiusap ko lang sa mga tao, kung pwede for consumption lang, wag gawing negosyo," he said.

(We appeal to the public, to please not abuse the program. Buy only what you can consume. Don't make a business out of it.)

Tiu Laurel is also hopeful they can further bring the price down to P39 if the peso value continues to strengthen.

BENEFIT TO FARMERS

The program, while aimed at helping consumers, is also beneficial for farmers. Levi Bautista, a farmer from Alcala, Pangasinan said the program will give them direct access to consumers without the need for middlemen.

"Eto po ung lagi naming pinapangarap na may direct access kami sa market kasi alam naman natin kapag umaasa kami sa middleman doon, nagpapatanim sila. Kapag bumagsak presyo, iiwanan kami," Bautista said.

(We have always dreamed of this, a lot of middlemen ask us to plant but when prices go down, they leave us.)

Bautista said that currently, 5,000 farmers from their group will benefit from the program. Their rice harvests will be sold directly to the consumers, with no haggling from abusive traders.

"Yung agam agam naming na masasayang lang, may pag-asa na. May access na kami sa consumer. Malaking hirap po nadadanas ng farmer, eto na siguro kasagutan sa problema na yun," he added.

(Our anxieties that our produce will go to waste have been relieved. We have access to consumers. We farmers suffer a lot, and this might be the solution to our problems.)

Inflation slowed to 1.9 percent in September as rice prices decreased.