Farmers’ groups support Aquino-Roxas on rice import ban

Promising to end importation of rice and other prime agricultural products that drive down the competitiveness of local farmers and producers, Liberal Party standard bearers Senator Benigno S. Aquino III and Senator Mar Roxas II got the backing of farmer groups ahead of the May 10 elections.

Ruperto Alertuza, representing the Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Samahan sa Kanayunan (PKSK) which is composed of at least 20,000 farmers in 28 provinces nationwide, said they believed that the Aquino-Roxas tandem would make true its promise to stop rice importation that hurt the local agricultural sector.

Earlier, Alurteza’s group and 46 others representing close to half a million farmers nationwide, and the farmer-beneficiaries of the controversial Sumilao estate in Bukidnon province, endorsed the candidacy for President and Vice-President of Aquino and Roxas because they trust the LP bets would ensure successful and full implementation of the agrarian reform program when they take over the reins of government from the Arroyo Administration.

“Noon pa man ang panawagan naming mga magsasaka, i-regulate yung importation kasi ito ang isa sa dahilan kung bakit ang mga local produce ay naiiwanan at mas mura (We have been calling on the government to regulate importation because it is the main reason why our produce have been left behind and are sold cheaper than the imports,” Alertuza said.

Aquino and Roxas have vowed to stop the government’s policy on rice importation and said funds used for this should instead be used to help the ailing farmers. The National Food Authority plans to import 2.3 million tons this year, the highest since the Arroyo Administration resumed massive importations that started with 1.5 million metric tons.

Aquino has declared that due to the government’s lack of support to farmers, the farming population has significantly decreased. With this, he said the Aquino-Roxas administration would push for more support to farmers by providing more funding for the agricultural sector.

Roxas lamented that massive importation reeks of corruption and displaces thousands of farmers who tend to sell their produce at a lower price just to compete with imported rice and agricultural products.

He said he supports proposal that the budget for rice importation be reallocated to fund more credit programs to farmers, post-harvest facilities and crop assistance but added that importation would only be done if necessary for public order, health and emergency.

“Mahalagang suportahan natin ang ating mga magsasaka sapagkat pagsasaka lang ang kanilang ikinabubuhay. Sinisira lang ng importasyon ang kabuhayan nila kaya lalong lumalala ang kahirapan sa ating bansa (We must support our farmers because farming is their only means of living. Importations destroy their livelihood and worsens poverty in the country),” Roxas said.