MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is supporting the proposed earlier certification of tariffs collected from rice imports to fast-track the rollout of programs aimed at aiding farmers such as cash assistance.
Agriculture Assistant Secretary Arnel de Mesa said making the tariff certification earlier than the current April 15 deadline would allow the DA to complete necessary bidding and procurement processes within the first quarter.
This will allow the DA to roll out additional programs for the improvement of rice farmers’ productivity faster especially since it is proposing that more items that can be funded by the excess tariff collections aside from just financial assistance.
Under the current proposal, the DA wants the rice tariffs collected in excess of P15 billion to be used for crop diversification, solar-powered irrigation systems, small water impounding systems and financial assistance.
Furthermore, the allocation of the excess rice tariffs shall be determined by the DA secretary, based on the department’s proposed amendments to the rice tariffication law (RTL).
Last Tuesday, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda proposed that the Bureau of the Treasury certifies the total tariff collections from rice imports not later than 30 days from the end of each fiscal year.
This is earlier than the April 15 deadline given to the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to certify the total rice tariff collections made in the preceding fiscal year, under existing rules and regulations.
Salceda’s proposal was adopted and approved by the House committees on agriculture and food, as well as ways and means.
Under existing rules and regulations, the DA shall await the rice tariff collection certification issued by the BOC before it can start undertaking bureaucratic process of getting the fund for its rice farmers financial assistance (RFFA) program.
At present, all excess rice tariffs are used for the RFFA program where farmers tilling two hectares and below get P5,000 each.
Modification to the use of the excess rice tariffs is part of the proposed amendments to the RTL as the legislative and executive branches of government seek to extend the rice competitiveness enhancement fund (RCEF).
Created under the RTL, the RCEF seeks to improve rice farmers’ competitiveness through the provision of seeds, machinery, credit and training after the government liberalized and deregulated the country’s rice trade regime.
Rice tariff collections as certified by the BOC reached a record-high of P29.9 billion in 2023, with nearly P19.9 billion in excess collection to be used for the RFFA.