If the government is looking for someone to blame for the inflation and increasing prices of basic commodities as rice and fish, it is its own neglect to subsidize agricultural producers when other countries have been actively doing so, and its tax and investment policies that hit the agricultural producers and consumers hard.
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas warned that the Philippines risks going through a rice crisis as the Benigno Aquino III administration is set to open the floodgates to bigger amounts of rice imports. June 30 marks the end of the quantitative restrictions (QRs) the World Trade Organization…
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
As of five days ago, the NFA awarded to the private sector the rights to import 660,000 metric tons out of the 860,000 metric tons of rice to be imported for the year, this despite news reports of sacks of rice rotting in NFA warehouses. And rice traders who import the rice would even be exempted from paying taxes.
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO Bulatlat.com MANILA — Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano today said that a looming rice crisis is “a real problem” that cannot be addressed by palliative and short-term solutions but by “real solutions.” Mariano issued the statement after the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica) said that “one of the possible flash points…
By INA ALLECO R. SILVERIO
The rice industry is in peril as production of the staple food in the Philippines has been declining in the last two years, an agriculturalist said in a recently released report.
Not only does rice importation hurt local farmers, it is also the culprit behind the billions of pesos in losses incurred by the National Food Authority (NFA) over the years.
The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas criticized the National Food Authority for increasing rice prices at a time when the poor could hardly cope with the crisis. The KMP said that the NFA’s move to limit access to the P18.25 per kilo rice is nothing more than a price hike. BY RONALYN V. OLEA Bulatlat.com Volume…
To address the rice crisis, a group of Filipino scientists joined farmers in calling for a genuine agrarian reform program, mechanization and development of agriculture and support for farmers, among others. BY RONALYN V. OLEA BULATLAT Volume VIII, Number 25, July 27-August 2, 2008 Scientists belonging to AGHAM or Samahan ng Nagtataguyod ng Agham at…
If there is no shortage, locally and internationally, and no compelling reason for the increases in rice prices and yet it is happening then somebody is making a hefty profit out of it at the expense of the majority of the Filipino people. BY BENJIE OLIVEROS ANALYSIS Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 12, April 27 –…
May pagkilala man sa problemang kinakaharap, mapapansing hindi pa rin ginagamit ng pamahalaan ang salitang “krisis” para ilarawan ang problema natin ngayon sa suplay ng bigas. NI DANILO ARAÑA ARAO Konteksto / Pinoy Weekly Inilathala ng Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 12, April 27-May 3, 2008 May pagkilala man sa problemang kinakaharap, mapapansing hindi pa rin…
BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO LABOR WATCH Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 12, April 27-May 3, 2008 Children begging in the streets at night Knocking on cars till the morning light People standing in line for a kilo of rice Welcome to the Dark Ages, the era of lies… — The Jerks, “Rage” For Kilusang Mayo Uno…