NAIC, CAVITE—A FLOOD OF RICE IMPORTS during the election period is now hurting farmers who are deep in debt as a result of losses incurred by falling prices of local rice.The importation of 2.4 million metric tons (MT) of rice started in December and continued until May, according to a rice agency official. Farmers are bearing the brunt of the adverse effects of the importation. “Here, if you want to incur debts, go plant rice,” said 68-year-old farmer Ciriaco Catibayan.

 He said that aside from the lack of government subsidy for irrigation, farmers could not recover their capital. He spent P38,000 to plant rice on a 1.5-hectare land.

Local traders dictate prices, which have gone down as a result of the importation.

No recovery

According to Lita Mariano, spokesperson of the nongovernment rice price watch group Bantay Bigas, the current average cost of rice grain ranges from P10 to P15 per kilogram.

She said an average farmer spends about P50,000 to P90,000 for seeds, fertilizer, pesticides and rent for dryers and post-harvest facilities per planting season.

Mariano said irrigation was also a problem, with only 30 to 35 percent of agricultural land in the country having access to water systems.

Small purchase

“Here in Naic, farmers said there are no NFA (National Food Authority) traders (hence) they are forced to sell it to local traders who buy the grains at a low price,” she said in a farmers’ forum held here on Wednesday.

According to Bantay Bigas, the government only procures “very minimal or almost one percent” of the total palay produce from local farmers.

But NFA spokesperson Rex Estoperez, in a phone interview on Thursday, said the average price of rice grain is P17 per kg, with a 70-centavo incentive to farmers’ organizations.

He also said the agency procures an average of 5 percent of its total rice purchase from local rice farmers.

A rice researcher from a private institute, who requested anonymity for lack of authority to speak, said farmers in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija are also forced to sell their grains at P12 to P13 per kg.

The source said the 2.4 million MT of rice imported in December had affected prices of locally grown grain.

Timed for polls

The importation ran until May this year and could have been made in time for the national elections, the source said.

“Rice is really a political crop because it is a staple. Imagine people falling in line for rice during election period. That would not make the government and politicians look good,” the source said.

He said rice shortage could very well trigger massive protests and food riots as what had happened in Haiti in 2007.

Estoperez said the last delivery from the 2.4-million MT imported rice was made this month. Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon