Land conversion moratorium gets support

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Land conversion moratorium gets support

Arianne Merez,

ABS-CBN News

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MANILA-- Bayan Muna party-list group is supporting the Department of Agrarian Reform's (DAR) call for a two-year land conversion moratorium to address rice self-sufficiency problems.

Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said the proposed moratorium may also halt the exodus of farmers to urban centers due to land displacement.

"This will definitely help in addressing the rice self-sufficiency problem of the Philippines and may stem to some extent the exodus of farmers and farm workers to urban centers because they are being displaced by land grabbers who use land use conversion as their cover," Zarate said.

The Department of Agriculture earlier announced that a proposed moratorium on agricultural land conversion is in the works after receiving a go-signal from the President.

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READ: DAR wants 2-year moratorium vs agri land conversion (LINK: http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/13/16/dar-wants-2-year-moratorium-vs-agri-land-conversion)

Zarate also blamed the Aquino administration, particularly former Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, for the increase of rice prices.

He said the Aquino administration has been reporting a 94-96 percent rice self-sufficiency but government rice importation was only at 2.1 million metric tons last year.

"This is one of the reasons for the dirt cheap farm gate prices of palay. And ironically, on the other hand rice prices significantly increased during the past administration's term," Zarate said.

Zarate added that a land conversion moratorium is the "only logical and the right thing to do" to avoid dependence on rice imports.

"In addressing the basic problems of Philippine society, we must look at the whole picture and craft a comprehensive solution for the majority of our people, not just piecemeal solutions that would only benefit the oligarchs and their apologists and maintain the status quo," Zarate said.

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