Ambassador Kulkumut Singhara Na Ayudhya, the new Thailand envoy to the Philippines, has suggested that the Philippines focus more on agricultural production to address the problem on rice shortage.
“Our King (Bhumibol Adulyadej) is very much hands-on on the matter. He will visit agricultural lands and make sure that our irrigation system is okay ... that the production of rice is still the same. We all owe it to our king who visits areas and make sure that our irrigation system is equally divided,” Kulkumut told reporters in his visit to Cebu yesterday.
The ambassador clarified that Thailand is similar to the Philippines about agriculture, and the only difference is that their king has been concentrating on the agricultural system of their country.
Kulkumut disclosed that last week he received a letter from Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap asking him if the Philippines could import rice from Thailand. He said that the matter has been acted upon already and endorsed to the Thai minister of agriculture.
Thailand’s agricultural land comprises at about 45 percent with a population of about 60 million, said Kulkumut adding that so far they are still maintaining the balance of rice production.
Reports had it also that Thailand and Vietnam, both rice exporting countries, have reduced their exports in favor of their domestic needs, while demand for rice has increased in India and China..
The media has reported recently about the declining supply of rice in the Philippines, resulting in heightened political stirrings and public concern over the economic policies of President Gloria Arroyo.
The National Food Authority-7 earlier denied there has been a rice shortage in Central Visayas, insisting that the supply is enough to last for about two months.
Danilo Bonabon, regional director of NFA-7, confirmed the supply of NFA rice is still good up to 65 days. He admitted that prices of the staple has gone up but he contended that this does not necessarily follow there is a shortage.
Bonabon attributed the continuing increase of rice costs to the expensive buying rate of palay which is pegged at a minimum of P14 per kilo. Palay grains have to be processed and its cost, plus operating expenses, have forced rice millers to get a recovery cost of 63 percent that ended up as an add-on cost, he said.
Agriculture regional director Ricardo Oblena, for his part, said the factors that drove prices of rice up are climate change, and fuel price hike that pushes fertilizer costs to as high as 150 percent.
Oblena added another factor, which is the uncertainty of rice supply in the world market, such as the low rice yield in Vietnam and the shift of exports to Africa from India, China, and Thailand. — Jasmin R. Uy/RAE