Farmers' group urges Senate to ratify Jpepa

MANILA, Philippines - Proponents of the controversial Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa) have found an ally in Farmers Cooperative Union of the Philippines (FCUP). In a statement released Monday, FCUP, a nationwide farmers association, called on the Senate to ratify Jpepa in order to promote more agricultural exports to Japan and attract more investments to the agricultural sector. "In the face of a global crisis in food prices, it is necessary that the Filipino farmers be given greater access to markets for agricultural products," FCUP spokesman Arnulfo Dimaandal said. "This would provide more income to our farming sector that would be used for further investments in our agricultural production," he added. Dimaandal further said that the additional income from agricultural exports would boost investments in the farming sector which farmers could use to purchase more fertilizers and pesticides to increase production. “They would also be able to build processing facilities to improve the quality of their products for the domestic and global markets and generally enhance their competitiveness," Dimaandal said. Dimaandal declared that additional investments and income from the agricultural sector "would help raise the financial requirements for improving the infrastructure for agricultural production, including rice, which has been experiencing a shortfall in production for the past many years." He explained, "With additional income from the export of cash crops, the Philippines can devote more capital to the raising of rice, finally realizing our dream for self-sufficiency of the staple. With self-sufficiency in grain will come lower prices within the reach of the common people." FCUP said that Japan is the second largest market for Philippine agricultural exports, closely following the United States. With the agreement coming into force, almost 95 percent of Philippine exports to Japan will face zero duties on day one. The Philippines grows bananas, pineapple, mango, avocado and papaya, principal fruit items that Japan imports. Among the vegetables, okra and asparagus are among our country's major exports to Japan, said FCUP. Philippine pumpkin in frozen form is also a potentially exportable vegetable to Japan. According to FCUP, almost 80 percent of the Philippines' pineapple exports are shipped to Japan. With the application of the Tariff Rate Quota to Philippine pineapples, the Philippines can export more of these products to Japan, thus earning more foreign exchange for the country. Filipino fishermen will also benefit, according to FCUP. Japan accounts for 45 percent of Philippine exports of shrimps and crabs which will receive a concession of lower tariffs from Japan. Exports of yellowfin tunas and skipjacks will enjoy no tariffs within five years in Japan under the treaty. Poultry raisers will also enjoy a bonanza as poultry exports to Japan would enjoy a tariff rate in-quota of 8.5 percent as against the present Most Favored Nation (MFN) rate of 11.9 percent. "The introduction of a new stage of free trade between the Philippines and Japan will stimulate greater economic activity and production in the Philippines through greater direct investment from Japan as well as more export receipts that would be poured into economic development, especially agriculture," Dimaandal said. The association stressed that the Senate should no longer delay its ratification of JPEPA. "The longer it delays the longer will our people suffer from high prices of food and other commodities, especially rice," Dimaandal said. - GMANews.TV