DAVAO CITY—The importation of rice will continue for the meantime to address the country’s impending rice self-sufficiency issues, former North Cotabato governor and incoming Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said Friday
Piñol, who was appointed to his new post by President-apparent Rodrigo Duterte, said they will look at overhauling policies and review existing rice purchase plans by the state.
“I cannot make projections on the country’s efforts to achieve rice sufficiency until I have fully reviewed the existing infrastructure. In the meantime, importation is the only answer to the shortfall,” Piñol told The Standard Friday.
He made his statement even as Senator Cynthia Villar said the country now had a better shot at curbing the perennial smuggling in the agriculture sector after President Benigno Aquino III signed into law a measure imposing higher penalties on the crime that she sponsored.
“Harsher penalties are now imposed to serve as a deterrent to smuggling activities,” said Villar, the head of the Senate’s agriculture and food committee.
Republic Act 10845, or the act declaring large-scale agricultural smuggling as economic sabotage, was signed into law by Aquino on May 23.
The importation of rice is a politically charged issue in the world’s third largest rice importer, with the past administrations pushing to keep the tariffs high to protect local farmers but sometimes needing to quickly import thousands of tons of rice to boost rice stocks.
Private traders are allowed to bring in annual shipments of up to 805,200 tons with a 35-percent tariff. Rice importation is regulated by the NFA, which issues import permits and allocations.
In a radio interview, Piñol earlier said the new administration will bar private traders from importing rice and put the task entirely in the hands of the National Food Authority.
“The directive of our president-elect is that there will be no more rice importation by the private sector. It will only be the NFA,” Piñol said.
While Duterte’s initial directives continue to be in effect, Piñol said, that they will have to review the administration’s policy statements on banning private rice importers.
“These will have to be reviewed in view of the impeding shortage because of El Niño,” Piñol said.
While El Niño is now weakening, farm officials have warned of more crop damage later in the year when La Niña brings intense rain.
NFA spokesman Angel Imperial said there was no urgent need to import rice at the moment given the ample stocks.
The Philippines has been a net rice importer for the last 50 years.