Lawmaker cautions NFA on additional rice imports

MANILA, Philippines - Cagayan Rep. Juan Ponce Enrile Jr. joined Cagayan Valley officials yesterday in cautioning National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Lito Banayo against importing more rice in the wake of the reported bumper harvest in the first quarter of this year.

The son of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile made the appeal in reaction to Banayo’s recent announcement that he would import an additional 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons (four million to six million 50-kilo bags) of rice.

His appeal followed a similar concern expressed by former congressman and now Isabela Vice Gov. Rodolfo Albano lll, who said more rice imports would prejudice farmers in Isabela, Nueva Ecija, Iloilo, and other rice-producing provinces.

Rep. Enrile said although the NFA chief and his immediate boss, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, are apparently feuding, Banayo should leave the decision on rice importation to Alcala.

He said the NFA chief’s pronouncement on more rice importation is contrary to Alcala’s statement that there is yet no need to bring in more imported rice.

 “The NFA should be careful in raising the ante on rice shortage and importation because only Secretary Alcala can determine and initiate such policy pronouncements,” he said.

In a news conference two weeks ago, Alcala announced that his department expected a first-semester rice harvest of 7.6 million tons, 15 percent more than last year’s 6.6-million-ton yield for the same period.

Thus, he said future rice imports would be put on hold despite Banayo’s pronouncement that he would bring in an additional 200,000 to 300,000 metric tons.

He said improved harvest would mean that the Philippines would no longer be the world’s top rice importer.

A few days before Alcala’s announcement, Albano chided Banayo for insisting on importing more rice despite indications of a good yield in Isabela, Nueva Ecija and Iloilo, the country’s largest rice-producing provinces.

“Mr. Banayo should not insist on bringing in more rice from abroad and enriching some rice traders to the disadvantage of our farmers, whose produce will most likely sell at lower prices if the market is flooded with imported rice,” Albano said.

The Philippines will not import more than 500,000 metric tons of rice next year, Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala said yesterday.

In an interview, Alcala said the government remains on track with its goal of achieving rice self-sufficiency by 2013.

As such, Alcala said, the National Food Authority (NFA), the grains agency of the Department of Agriculture, will not import “more than 500,000MT. Then after that, 2013 we will be self-sufficient,” he said.

According to Alcala, the DA is on track with its rice self-sufficiency program with its rice harvest for the first quarter of this year as the “biggest.”

However, Alcala still refuses to reveal the first quarter palay (paddy rice) production figure until the DA- Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) validates the production figures.

He expressed confidence that while the country would still have to resort to some rice next year, it would be much lower than the 860,000 MT approved imports this year.

Alcala said that his rice self-sufficiency program also includes the potential for the Philippines to become a rice seller/exporter again, especially of its organic and fancy rice.