Farmer groups criticize DA’s rice importation group, call for genuine support to local producers

The TWG reflects the Marcos administration’s continued reliance on liberalized rice imports instead of pursuing policies that protect farmers and promote local production.

By Daniela Mauricio
Bulatlat.com

BULACAN — Farmer groups led by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas on Tuesday criticized the Department of Agriculture’s newly formed rice importation Technical Working Group (TWG), saying it continues the country’s failed liberalization policies under the administration of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and undermines earlier promises to lower rice prices to P20 per kilo.

The Department of Agriculture, under Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr., said the TWG aims to systematize rice import planning and oversight. Moving away from ad hoc approvals, the group will use data on regional supply gaps, stock levels, and market conditions to guide the volume, timing, and distribution of imports across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The TWG is composed of representatives from DA offices and rice industry stakeholders. The agency says the measure seeks to stabilize rice supply and prices while preventing imports from disrupting local harvests, turning importation into a strategic tool rather than a reactive measure.

The DA emphasized that the TWG will replace case-by-case import approvals with a more transparent, systematic process that can “help address regional supply gaps and better align import timing and volume with actual needs.”

Still, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas argued that the TWG reflects the Marcos administration’s continued reliance on liberalized rice imports instead of pursuing policies that protect farmers and promote local production.

“The creation of this kind of TWG is not a real solution to the rice problem,” said Danilo Ramos, chairperson of KMP. “It only proves once again that the promise of P20 per kilo rice was merely for show by the administration. There is no genuine protection for farmers and rice producers. For the DA and Malacañang, importation still comes first instead of strengthening local production.”

“Seven years after RA 11203, the government is still resorting to stopgap measures to patch up the severe damage that liberalization has caused to farmers and the entire rice industry,” Ramos added.

Farmer groups have also criticized the 60-day rice import suspension implemented by the administration, calling it “just for show.” They said the Rice Tariffication Law (RA 11203) is the main reason farmgate prices remain low, as imported rice floods the market and depresses local palay prices, leaving farmers with reduced income.

The law dismantled quantitative restrictions and reduced the regulatory power of the National Food Authority, leading to increased imports and downward pressure on farmgate prices, with analysts noting that many farmers are worse off under liberalized trade policies.

The DA has indicated that the TWG may eventually require importers to purchase local palay and use real-time stock data to guide rice import volumes and timing. While the department describes this approach as data-driven and strategic, KMP and allied groups argue it would further expose the local industry to foreign competition, depress farmgate prices, and offer minimal benefits to farmers or consumers.

“This is not real protection for farmers,” said Cathy Estavillo of Amihan and Bantay Bigas. “If the true goal is to lower prices and stabilize supply, local production should be given adequate support. Importation is never a solution to the hardships faced by farmers and consumers.”

KMP further highlighted that ongoing liberalized rice import policies, including the continuation of RA 11203 (amended by RA 12078) and reduced rice tariffs, prioritize open markets over measures that genuinely safeguard farmers. 

The DA projects rice imports in 2026 at 3.6–3.8 million metric tons, lower than the 2024 record of 4.8 million MT, but farmer groups fear these levels still threaten local production.

KMP emphasized that without a major policy shift, initiatives like the TWG will mainly serve as political cover for past failures. The group called for genuine support for Filipino farmers, including production subsidies and protection of domestic rice markets, warning that without these measures, both farmers and consumers will remain vulnerable to low farmgate prices and unstable retail costs. (RTS, RVO)

The post Farmer groups criticize DA’s rice importation group, call for genuine support to local producers appeared first on Bulatlat.