Press Release November 16, 2018 Senate approves bill providing vital support to protect farmers under a tariffied regime The Senate on Wednesday passed on third reading the bill which provides support to farmers projected to be adversely affected by the lifting of the quantitative restriction on the importation of rice. With a vote of 14 affirmative, 0 negative and 0 abstention, senators approved Senate Bill 1998 or the bill which amends Republic Act 8178 or the Agricultural Tariffication Act and replaces the quantitative import restriction on rice with tariffs. Sen. Cynthia Villar, chair of the Committee on Agriculture and Food, and principal sponsor of the bill, said "a package of support programs is incorporated in the bill to make sure that Filipino farmers will have a fighting chance against the farmers of neighboring ASEAN countries as cheaper rice starts flooding the market." "I will not agree na mag-liberalize ang importation na walang tulong sa farmer kasi talo talaga tayo. Talo tayo ng Vietnam at Thailand in terms of competitiveness. So we have to help our farmers to be competitive as soon as possible. That's why we need additional funds and programs to help our farmers mechanize and ultimately lower the cost of producing palay," Villar said. The bill creates the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund or Rice Fund consisting of an annual appropriation of P10 billion for the next six years following the approval of this act. The Rice Fund will be allocated to rice producing areas and will be earmarked as follows:
Villar said the bill gives preferential attention to rice farmers, cooperatives and associations adversely affected by the tariffication of the quantitative import restriction on rice. The bill also allocates tariff revenues in excess of P10 billion to the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance program which will compensate rice farmers who are projected to lose farm income arising from tariffication. A portion of the excess tariff will also be allocated for titling of agricultural rice lands, expanded crop insurance on rice, and crop diversification program. |
Wednesday, April 24
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