Looming food crisis prompts call for iron fist vs rice cartels

MANILA, Philippines – The first thing the government should do to address the looming food crisis is to go after rice cartels that have been hoarding the supply to create a shortage, Speaker Prospero Nograles said Saturday. This was among the five-point action plan he proposed to the government to achieve food security, especially at this time when the prices of grains are rising and the rice supply is shrinking. “First, smuggling and rice hoarding by rice cartels should be curbed effectively," he said in a statement. The action plan he mentioned centers on “increasing the country’s rice production capacity and intensifying the government’s law enforcement capability." Nograles said a bill that rewards “whistle-blowers for their aid in the prevention of rice hoarding - which should now be considered as an act of economic sabotage and be given heavier penalties - should be passed into law immediately." “Let us provide more attractive incentives to persons who help the authorities fight those who take advantage of crisis situations, which further aggravate the sufferings of the poorest among our poor," the Speaker said. According to him, the global rice supply crisis presents the Philippines with both challenges and opportunities, which is to make rice affordable to as many Filipinos, which includes the opportunity to achieve the most important goal – food security. “Food sufficiency is the highest order of the day. A country that cannot feed its own people will always be at the mercy of those countries that can." The Speaker’s second proposed action plan would be “challenges to agricultural productivity, which include inadequate irrigation systems, high post-harvest losses and high cost of farm inputs should be addressed." Nograles said that the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) of 1997 (Republic Act 8435) was supposed to address these constraints but there remained notable gaps in such areas as rural infrastructure and Research and Development. Thirdly, he raised the need to identify new production areas not only for rice but also for other major agricultural crops. A National Land Use Act would help greatly in facilitating the proper identification and delineation of lands for agricultural and other purposes. Fourth, the government should encourage the private sector to build partnerships with farmers and engage in corporate farming. “The participation of corporations will bring modern production technology, access to capital, direct access to domestic and foreign markets, and professional management expertise. We are looking at the possible participation of corporations with at least 1,000 employees in the program," he explained. Under this scheme, Nograles said corporations can either collaborate with groups of farmers or cooperatives or have their own production ventures through the development of new irrigated rice lands. The Speaker said eligible corporations that can collaborate with established farmers' organizations and agrarian reform communities include those with existing landholdings suitable for rice production. Corporations without landholdings can lease public agricultural lands, be given rights to convert portion of the 120,000 hectares of pasturelands, which are mostly idle or unproductive. He proposed that incentives and the proper regulatory support will be provided to participating private firms. Funding support should also be provided from the Land Bank or Development Bank of the Philippines for new agricultural land developments. "Our highest objective behind corporate farming is to encourage the corporations themselves to develop new areas of production. For while we strive to increase productivity in existing agricultural areas, we know that much greater productivity will be achieved if we develop new areas for planting and production," he said. And lastly (fifth proposal), Nograles said that Mindanao, which has long been identified as the country's potential food basket, should be a focus area in agricultural production. Mindanao has vast potential irrigable areas because it has a favorable climate for rice production and it already supplies about one-fourth of the country's rice requirements. Nograles said that another key to raising agricultural productivity is an efficient transportation system. For Mindanao, a bill establishing a railway system is among our affirmative action measures, he said as he echoed the clamor of Mindanao congressmen for the government to facilitate the early release of the island's 30 percent share from lump-sum funds in the P1.227 trillion national budget as promised by the President. “This is the time to transcend the affairs of politics and work together so that at the end of the day, every Filipino man, woman and child will still have rice on the table. I appeal to the private sector to consider my proposal on corporate farming which I believe is a viable solution, which will work for everyone's benefit." “As a final note, I wish to emphasize that the target of achieving food security is achievable and it is our action or inaction that will determine our success or failure in meeting this challenge," Nograles said. - GMANews.TV