Despite imports, rice retail price still high – group

MANILA, Philippines — Despite being the world’s biggest rice importer, with at least 3.29 million metric tons imported, retail prices of the staple in the country remain high, rice watchdog group Bantay Bigas has bewailed.

Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo cited the administration’s dependence on rice imports from countries including Vietnam, Pakistan, Myanmar, India, China, Japan, Cambodia, Italy and Spain.

“The importation under the Rice Liberalization Law by President Marcos directly undermines the livelihoods of Filipino farmers and his issuance of Executive Order No. 62, which lowers rice import tariffs from 35 to 15 percent,” Estavillo said.

Estavillo added that the importation is not a solution and did not benefit the consumers and also weakened the country’s self-sufficiency and food security.

She said that the farmers are also affected by a drop in the farmgate price of palay because the National Food Authority fails to buy directly from the farmers, empowering the traders to dictate the price of the grain.

Based on monitoring of the Department of Agriculture (DA) in Metro Manila markets, the retail price of  imported regular milled rice is sold as high as P48 per kilo; imported well-milled rice, as high as P55 per kilo; imported premium rice, as high as P60 per kilo and imported special rice, as high as P65 per kilo.

Estavillo said that a nationally coordinated farmers’ protest will be held today.

The retail price of tomatoes in Metro Manila markets further increased to P200 per kilo because of the devastation brought by the recent Super Typhoon Enteng, according to the DA.

Three days ago, based on the DA’s price watch, the retail price of tomatoes reached as high as P180 per kilo. Prior to the devastation of Enteng, the retail price of tomatoes only ranged between P55 and P90 per kilo.

Meanwhile, the retail price of chilis or siling labuyo has also increased to as high as P450 per kilo, ginger at P300 per kilo and bell pepper at P360 per kilo.

The retail price of round scad or galunggong, once considered the poor man’s fish, reached as high as P340 per kilo.

On the other hand, the Philippine Egg Board Association (PEBA) yesterday gave