‘Subsidize farmers, not imports’ - KMP on DA’s new rice project

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) Chair Danilo Ramos underscored the new ‘sulit’ and ‘nutri’ rice project of the Department of Agriculture (DA) as a tactic to boost imported rice at low prices rather than securing the country's local sectors on January 3.

“Cheaper rice must be anchored on a developed local agricultural sector. We must subsidize farmers, not imports, to ensure long-term food security and affordability.” Ramos mentioned that this should be the focus of the department.

The KMP chair also emphasized this project as a ‘gimmick' and ‘conditioning the public to accept cheap’ following their statement that some rice imports from two countries were supplied locally in the markets at low prices.

According to DA Spokesperson Arnel de Mesa, ‘sulit’ rice was fully broken rice grains while ‘nutri’ rice is a mix of well-milled rice and brown rice which has more fiber which were both ‘really cheap’.

“Una, yung 100 percent broken, mura talaga yun. Yung well-milled kasi na common, 25 percent broken. So mura talaga yon," the spokesperson said.

The National Federation of Peasant Women (AMIHAN) and Bantay Bigas viewed the ‘sulit’ and ‘nutri’ project as a deceptive strategy or ‘pambubudol’ which caused consumers to force buying low-priced broken rice in the market.

“They were disappointed because it turns into porridge or ‘lugaw’ when cooked due to the broken grains,” the AMIHAN said in a statement on their Facebook page on January 3.

Bantay Bigas Cathy Estavillo said that this was still a similar tactic to diminish people’s wrath on affordable rice, “Dapat batikusin ang mga pakulo at pambubudol nina Marcos at Department of Agriculture para maging abot kaya ang presyo ng bigas.”

According to de Mesa, the new project of DA will be available in the second week of January which will consist of ‘sulit’ rice at P40/kg and ‘nutri’ rice at P37-38/kg in Kadiwa stores and train stations.

The department also amended guidelines to remove labels such as ‘premium’ and ‘special’ rice in the market which was proposed by DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel because of labels misused to increase prices in the markets.