Negros Occ governor backs 60-day rice import suspension

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson expressed support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to suspend rice importation for 60 days starting Sept. 1.

“I believe the purpose of the order is to protect our farmers,” Lacson told reporters in a press interview Wednesday.

He added, “Right now, the buying price of palay has really gone down, and it’s important to manage the rice supply in the country carefully.”

“I support the president’s decision because it puts our farmers first, rather than the interests of traders,” Lacson said.

He noted, however, that “if the prices of rice go up too much, I expect importation will come back.”

“This is why the government is working to find the right level of pricing — one that keeps our farmers happy while ensuring rice remains affordable for consumers,” he added.

In Negros Occidental, Lacson said rice production has consistently reached about 86 percent sufficiency and has yet to hit 100 percent.

“That’s why I keep encouraging our farmers to increase their production,” he said.

He added, “Currently, we are averaging about 4 tons per hectare, and we are hoping to reach at least 6 tons per hectare soon.”

Lacson also said that every time there is a typhoon, some level of damage occurs — not just to rice, but to other agricultural products as well.

He said there has never been a time when there are zero losses.

“But our rice farmers are among the most resilient people,” he said, adding, “They always find a way to get back up and do what they do best.”

Early Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the 60-day suspension of rice importation effective Sept. 1, in response to the continued drop in palay (unmilled rice) prices, the Presidential Communications Office reported.

The order aims to protect local farmers who are reeling from low palay prices during the current harvest season.

President Marcos issued the directive after consultations with Cabinet members on the sidelines of his state visit to India from Aug. 4 to 8, following the recommendation of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

The Department of Agriculture reported that global bumper harvests, the lifting of India’s rice export ban, and the Philippines’ record-high production of 9.08 million metric tons of palay in the first half of the year have put downward pressure on prices, especially from exporting countries.

“With cheaper imports flooding the market, reports indicate that some private traders are now buying palay for as low as PHP8 to PHP10 per kilo — well below the production cost of PHP12 to PHP14 per kilo.

Farmers have attributed this sharp decline to the influx of cheaper imported rice,” the DA said in a statement Tuesday.