GUSTO NA NI PNOY I-ABOLISH AT I-PRIVATIZE ANG MGA CRITICAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES LIKE THE NFA

Proposed NFA abolition hit

By Anna Leah G. Estrada | Posted on Mar. 02, 2013 at 12:02am | 959 views

The Agriculture Department warned Friday that abolishing the National Food Authority will tantamount to a “political suicide” and displace 3 million Filipino palay farmers.
“The NFA plays a very important role. We are working so hard to achieve the country’s rice self-sufficiency status, and yet other government agencies are trying to ruin it,” said Assistant Secretary and Philippine Rice Program Coordinator Dante Delima.
“If the National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Budget and Management don’t want to support the food staples and sufficiency program, the DA will still pursue it,” he added.
Delima said other government agencies are proposing the abolition of the NFA and the elimination of the quantitative restrictions on rice imports. The quantitative restrictions allows the government to limit the volume of imported rice to prevent a possible drop in rice prices.
“They want to abolish NFA. They also want to stop the local palay procurement. What we are asking is a temporary QR to enable us to prepare our farmers for the entry of imported rice at a cheaper price. What will happen to our 3 million palay farmers if that will push through?” asked Delima.
NFA earlier said palay production would reach over 20 million metric tons in 2013 and that it would buy 650,000 metric tons of rice, or just 3 percent of the total local output.
Delima said Agriculture wanted to increase the local palay procurement to 10 percent to further help the country’s farmers.
“Abolishing the NFA and QR is a political suicide for me. Note that only one million people went to Edsa if you remember, and we are talking about 3 million palay farmers here. What will they do if these farmers complain?” Delima asked.

Delima said President Benigno Aquino had been supportive of the food sufficiency program but other government officials were clearly not. He said abolishing the NFA would  imperil the country’s goal of attaining rice self-sufficiency.
“They are putting too much pressure on us during deliberations. They said that maintenance of NFA is very high. They said that we have to stop the QR. If we stop the QR, we will no longer have control of what will enter the country. We all want to have cheaper prices of commodities but we also have our social responsibilities,” Delima said.
The official said abolishing the NFA would worsen the country’s unemployment rate, noting that there were three farmers for every 10 Filipino workers.