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'It sends a wrong message': Farmers' group wary about Marcos Jr's cap on rice prices

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Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News 

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="A farm worker walks at a paddy field to recover and plant rice seedlings at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, Laguna on July 19, 2023. Rolex Dela Pena, EPA-EFE" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/07/19/20230719-rice-farmer-irri-epa-1.jpg"/><figcaption>A farm worker walks at a paddy field to recover and plant rice seedlings at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in Los Banos, Laguna on July 19, 2023. <em>Rolex Dela Pena, EPA-EFE</em></figcaption></figure></div><p><br/>MANILA — A farmers&#x27; group on Saturday expressed its concern about President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr&#x27;s order putting a price ceiling on two rice types as this already pulled down the price of palay, placing them at a disadvantage. </p><p>Marcos, the Philippines&#x27; concurrent agriculture secretary, on Thursday <a href="https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/2023/08/31/executive-order-no-39-s-2023/">signed the order</a> mandating a price ceiling for regular milled rice at P41 per kilo and well-milled rice at P45 per kilo to rein in the soaring prices of the Filipino staple.</p><p>Malacañang said this would take effect on <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/02/23/cap-on-rice-prices-to-take-effect-sept-5-palace">Tuesday next week</a>, or on Sept. 5, 2023. </p><p>But the Federation of Free Farmers said they were &quot;very worried&quot; about the order, as farmers from Pampanga and Sultan Kudarat already reported a P3 per kilogram decrease in palay prices. </p><p>&quot;Lalong bababa ang presyo ng palay. So kung kailan natin kailangan ng mas malaking production at maeengganyo ang mga magsasaka na magtanim — parang mali naman ang mensahe na ipinapalabas ng EO,&quot; said Raul Montemayor, FFF&#x27;s national manager. </p><p>&quot;Mga 20 percent reduction yan in one day. Yung paper value ng kanilang ani na hindi pa inaani, bumagsak na ng 20 percent,&quot; Montemayor added. </p><p>&quot;Sana pag-isipan nila mabuti yung epekto nito dahil kung totoo na nagmamanipula sa merkado at mayroon namang sapat na suplay, dapat &#x27;yun ang tugisin, hindi na farmer.&quot;</p><p>The EO has already affected how traders compute how much they would buy palay harvests, Montemayor said, so they would not be at a disadvantage. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/18/23/marcos-says-closely-monitoring-rice-prices">Marcos says gov&#x27;t closely monitoring rice prices</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Negosyante &#x27;yung trader, hindi magpapalugi &#x27;yan. Kung alam niya ang takbuhan ng ceiling sa merkado ay P41, ko-computin niya yan pababa, magkano niya bibilhin yung palay?&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;Doon niya iba-base ang bilihan ng palay sa magsasaka. Dahil bumaba ang price ceiling, bumababa ang presyo ng palay.&quot;</p><p>Based on the Department of Agriculture&#x27;s monitoring as of Friday, prices of imported commercial rice ranged from P43 to P65 per kilo, while local rice retailed at P42 to P65 per kilo in Metro Manila. </p><div><strong>IMPORTED COMMERCIAL RICE </strong></div><ul>	<li>Special (Blue tag) - P 53-P65/kilo</li>	<li>Premium (Yellow tag) - P53-P56/kilo</li>	<li>Well-milled (White tag) - P43-P52/kilo</li>	<li>Regular Milled (White tag) - NOT AVAILABLE </li></ul><div><strong>LOCAL COMMERCIAL RICE </strong></div><ul>	<li>Special (Blue tag) - P54-P65/kilo</li>	<li>Premium (Yellow tag) - P48-P60/kilo</li>	<li>Well-milled (White tag) - P47-P57/kilo</li>	<li>Regular Milled (White tag) - P412-P55/kilo</li></ul><p>Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual had clarified that some premium rice varieties were not covered by the order, which only applies to regular-milled and well-milled types. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/09/01/23/violators-of-rice-price-ceiling-to-face-penalties-dti">Violators of rice price ceiling to face penalties: DTI</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Mayroon tayong mga premium varieties na hindi covered ng price act. At sisiguraduhin din natin na hindi nami-mislabel iyong subject, iyong type ng rice na regular-milled rice o well-milled rice, hindi nadi-dislabel na premium type,&quot; Pascual said in a televised briefing Friday. </p><p>The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce &amp; Industry, Inc. had also criticized the EO, saying this would &quot;never work&quot; as rice prices were driven by the rules of supply and demand. </p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lRg2nVyqK8A?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>Marcos, the Philippines&#x27; concurrent agriculture secretary, on Thursday signed the order mandating a price ceiling for regular milled rice at P41 per kilo and well-milled rice at P45 per kilo to rein in the soaring prices of the Filipino staple.</p>

'Sana pag-isipan nila mabuti yung epekto nito dahil kung totoo na nagmamanipula sa merkado at mayroon namang sapat na suplay, dapat 'yun ang tugisin, hindi na farmer.'

'It sends a wrong message': Farmers' group wary about Marcos Jr's cap on rice prices

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'It sends a wrong message': Farmers' group wary about Marcos Jr's cap on rice prices

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 02, 2023 11:18 AM PHT

|

Updated Sep 02, 2023 11:43 AM PHT

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Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Federation of Free Farmers

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