Presidential candidate and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso on Tuesday said his administration will strongly support and protect farmers and the country’s food producers to ensure that there is food on the table of every Filipino family.
Moreno, Aksyon Demokratiko standard-bearer, made the assurance during the launching of his 10-point Bilis Kilos Economic Agenda which focuses on agriculture as one of the economic pillars to accelerate human and economic growth.
Domagoso said among the first economic policies that his government will introduce is to cut the excise tax of petroleum products by 50 percent to lower the cost of food production, especially rice, raise the income of farmers and fisherfolk, bring down the prices of basic commodities and sustain food production.
Agriculture is one of the major users of petroleum products. Farmers are heavily dependent on oil products for fuel, fertilizers and pesticides to achieve high crop yields. Fisherfolks are also reliant on petroleum for their motorized boats.
Domagoso pointed out that the spiraling cost of fuel had brought the price of fertilizer from P900 per bag just a year ago to more than P2,000 per bag at present value.
“This will affect the cost of food production. Pity the farmers here. Second, the consumer. Then the price of basic commodities, especially food will be affected by that fertilizers’ price hike,” he said.
In the same manner, he said a 50 percent tax cut on electricity would mean more food on the table and more money to spend on basic needs, including medicines.
“The price of electricity, and the price of crude oil. Its taxes will be cut in half to cushion the socio-economic impact of the pandemic on our lives as we do, and its impact on farmers in agricultural products,” Domagoso said.
Secondly, Moreno said his administration will buy the surplus produce of farmers at the right price to assure them of their income and help them rise from poverty.
“With regard to rice, I have already told the public that the government will buy at the right price because food security is the number one threat to national security. We’ll buy and guarantee our farmers that they won’t go bankrupt,” he said.
To further assure farmers of their income, Moreno said he will issue clear guidelines about the strict importation of agricultural products to make sure that local producers can sell their products first before importation is made.
The presidential aspirant said this will stop the practice of some officials who have the “tendency” to issue import permits during harvest time, forcing the hapless farmers to sell their products to unscrupulous middlemen at a cheap price.
“Our farmers, if we are lucky, plant and plant. I will make sure that when you plant onions, garlic, I’ll make sure that you can buy garlic because I will look into it personally that no importation permit will be signed during harvest time,” he said.