Sapat Dapat! Amid The Looming La Niña, Gov’t Must Boost Rice Buffer Stock, Pass ‘Cheaper Rice Act’ – Lee

June 26, 2024 Sapat Dapat! Amid The Looming La Niña, Gov’t Must Boost Rice Buffer Stock, Pass ‘Cheaper Rice Act’ – Lee With La Niña expected to arrive in the country in the third quarter of the year, AGRI Party-list Rep. Wilbert Manoy “Wise” T. Lee said the government must shore up its rice buffer stock to last for 15 to 30 days during disasters and emergency situations.  According to Lee, “our inventory must be sufficient to cover 15 to 30 days of national consumption or equivalent to at least 350,000 metric tons (MT) in case of emergencies or disasters. This is the optimal level of rice buffer stock stated in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).”  “Pero ayon sa National Food Authority (NFA) kamakailan, may rice inventory ang bansa na aabot lang sa loob ng apat na araw kung magkaroon ng sakuna o emergency. Nakakabahala ito dahil kulang ang reserbang ito,” he said.  According to the NFA, its palay procurement reached nearly 3.37 million 50-kilo bags as of June 13, equivalent to 168,262 metric tons (MT). While the solon recognized the efforts of NFA to boost the rice inventory by buying local palay for higher price, he maintained that this mechanism should be institutionalized.  Lee then called for the urgent passage of his proposed House Bill No. 9020 or the “Cheaper Rice Act” which will mandate the government to implement a “price subsidy” program to buy palay from local farmers at a higher farmgate price to ensure their profit and entice them to boost their production.  “Sa panukalang ito, isasabatas ang dagdag o patong na P5 to P10 sa prevailing farmgate price per kilo ng palay na bibilhin ng gobyerno sa mga lokal na magsasaka. Sa mas mataas na kita, magpupursige silang taasan ang produksyon, na magpapababa naman sa presyo ng bigas at iba pang bilihin,” explained Lee.  “Our farmers deserve better prices for their products, so it is only fair that we demand better for them,” he added.  The solon from Bicol further stressed that the best defense against inflation is supporting farmers whom he considers as “food security soldiers.”  “Kapag nag-invest tayo sa agrikultura, sa pagprotekta sa kabuhayan ng ating mga magsasaka, tataas ang kanilang ani at kita, hindi na tayo aasa sa imported, magiging sapat at abot-kaya ang pagkain sa bansa,” Lee stated.  “Ang matitipid ng ating mga kababayan sa bagsak-presyong bilihin ay dagdag pantustos naman sa iba pang pangangailangan tulad na lang kapag may nagkasakit sa pamilya.”  “Wala dapat namamatay sa gutom o kawalan ng sapat na pagkain. Winner Tayo Lahat sa pangmatagalang pakinabang at ginhawang hatid ng pagsuporta sa ating mga magsasaka,” he added Leave a Reply Cancel reply Logged in as admin_wilbertleeagriadvocacy. Edit your profile. Log out? Required fields are marked * Message* Latest Post 26 Nov 2024 AGRI Party-list Urges Senate to Prioritize Crop Insurance Expansion 18 Nov 2024 Amid calamities AGRI PL CALLS TO FAST-TRACK EXPANSION OF CROP INSURANCE COVERAGE 07 Nov 2024 Cong. Wilbert Lee Stresses Farmer Support as Inflation Solution at Kapihan sa QC Categories Advocay Legislation Support Share on Social Media Advocacy June 26, 2024 Hot News AGRI Party-list Urges Senate to Prioritize Crop Insurance Expansion Amid calamities AGRI PL CALLS TO FAST-TRACK EXPANSION OF CROP INSURANCE COVERAGE Cong. Wilbert Lee Stresses Farmer Support as Inflation Solution at Kapihan sa QC Cong. Wilbert Lee: Supporting Farmers is Best Solution to Curb Inflation Cong. Wilbert Manoy “Wise” Lee Advocates for Stronger Support to Farmers Amid Inflation Cong. Wilbert Lee: “Ang pinakamabisang solusyon sa inflation ay pagtulong sa mga magsasaka” Cong. Wilbert Lee Champions Bigger Budget for Agriculture in 2025 Cong. Manoy Wilbert Lee Demands Action on Coconut Farmers’ Health Benefits Amid Delays Cong. Manoy Wilbert Lee Urges PhilHealth, PCA to Fulfill Commitments to Coconut Farmers’ Health Cong. Manoy Wilbert Lee Calls on PhilHealth, PCA to Deliver Health Benefits for Coconut Farmers