The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Monday acknowledged depleted rice buffers and bared the need to decide within the week whether a government-to-government (G2G) rice importation program is appropriate.
Rex Estoperez, DA spokesperson, told reporters that under the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), only the President has authority to import rice to address an emergency.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, concurrent Agriculture chief, bared earlier this week of plans for a G2G rice deal with India.
Estoperez noted the private sector is adamant in continuing to import rice even as prices remain elevated. But he said it is important for government to add to existing inventory: “We don’t know when the next storm will be or if there will be another calamity.”
What is certain, Estoperez said, is that there will be inter-agency meetings ahead to plan the next rice import transaction.
Under the RTL, the President has full power to delegate authority to import rice “in the event of any imminent or forecast shortage or such other situation requiring government intervention.”
The law also empowers the President for a limited period and/or for a specified volume, allow the importation at a lower applied tariff to address the situation.
Such an order takes effect immediately but can only be issued when Congress is not in session.
The initial damage to agriculture by typhoon Egay was estimated at P1.54 billion, based on data from Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Operations Center of the Department of Agriculture (DA).
As of 12 noon Monday, Egay brought to ruin 66,075 metric tons of goods tended by 99,272 farmers in 110,086 hectares of agricultural land.
Data from the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas and Caraga show the bulk of damage on rice total P654.6 million, followed by corn of another P652.2 million, high value crops of P190.6 million, agricultural infrastructures of P20.8 million, fisheries of P14.1 million and livestock and poultry of P12.1 million.
