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Rice Stakeholders’ Statement We, the stakeholders of the rice industry, call on the government to government to re-evaluate its planned importation of three million metric tons of rice this year until reliable and verifiable data on the projected rice losses are established. We seriously doubt the government’s projections of the production shortfall. We are as surprised at how quickly the Department of Agriculture announced its intent to import a growing volume of rice.
Agriculture Secretary Yap urged to investigate rice price increase - 11 January 2010 Farmers and civil society groups challenged Department of Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap to investigate the rice traders amid the rising prices of the country’s staple food and called on the National Food Authority (NFA) to intervene in the market and avert the skyrocketing of prices early on. “Instead of dismissing the trend as a normal price movement, Secretary Yap should hold the rice traders accountable for possible overpricing. He has no business attributing the current retail price of P36 per kilo to increase in farmgate price of palay at P16 per kilo. The farmers have no more stocks left in their hands,” said Jaime Tadeo, President of National Rice Farmers Council (NRFC).
Civil Society and Farmers Proposal: Integration of sustainable rice production system in the FIELDS program RATIONALE The civil society and farmers proposethat sustainable rice production system be given equal importance and opportunities in the government's rice self-sufficiency program until 2010. Providing equal political and material support to the following proposals was deemed critical at this point. The agriculture department's banner programs that are dependent on commercially-developed hybrid rice seedsand focused on chemical-based farm inputs were proven tobe the killer factors that greatly contributed to this nationwide rice crisis and failing income of the rice farmers.
RETHINKING FOOD SECURITY: How will you feed a nation like the Philippines? Jessica Reyes-Cantos
People have been knocking their heads off trying to answer the question of the hour: Is there a rice supply shortage? The government assures us that there is an adequate supply—the problem is merely high rice prices. So why would prices rise if there is adequate supply in the first place? It simply doesn't fit in with the Economics 11 that I learned from my Professor back then, Solita Monsod. Whatever it is, the fact is, our domestic rice production has long been insufficient to feed our people. And we have been making up for our production "shortfall" by importing an average of 1.2 million metric tons the past seven years, or roughly 10 percent of what we consume. In the past, it was much cheaper to import the shortfall, but in late 2007, there was already an uptick in prices. Beginning this year though, the price has grown by leaps and bounds and is even projected to hit $1,000 per metric ton within the year, up from $430 per metric ton in the beginning of 2008.
Rice Farmers' Consultation The Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) and the National Rice Farmers’ Council (NRFC) held a 2-day consultation at the Balay Kalinaw, University of the Philippines – Diliman on November 17-18, 2009.
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RECENT PUBLICATIONS
AFTA at ang Bigas (PDF File)
(PDF File)
G33 Consolidated Fact Sheets (PDF file)
Documentation of Rice Farming Methods (Tagalog version)
Potential Impact of Designating Rice as a Special Product in Selected Countries in Asia
Rice Watch and Action Network is sponsoring the 2009 Green Thumb Thesis Award for the promotion of sustainable/organic rice production in the country.
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New R1 Publication
R1 Rice Self-Sufficiency Bulletin is a quarterly magazine of the Rice Watch and Action Network.
RICE Review food sufficiency strategy now - April 28, 2010 Glaring contradicions in rice importation - March 11, 2010 Rice importation ‘premature’ - March 7, 2010 No water, no rice - Feb. 26, 2010 RP-Thailand rice deal could be inked next month - Jan. 24, 2010 Gov't urged to stabilize rice prices - Jan. 12, 2010 Farmers dare Yap to look into 'rice overpricing' - Jan. 11, 2010 Gov't action sought to stabilize rice prices - Jan. 11, 2010 Gov't extends hybrid rice seed subsidy to 1st quarter - Nov. 2, 2009 Hybrid-rice subsidy available until 2010 ASEAN plans rice reserve mechanism Don't slash rice tariff yet - Oct. 25, 2009 Rice farmers ask government to take tough stance on Asean - Oct. 25, 2009 Gov't urged to tap rice reserve - Oct. 20, 2009 Government urged to tap ASEAN rice reserve Farm losses from ‘Ondoy,’ ‘Pepeng’ climb to P18.4B - Oct. 14, 2009 House appropriations committee supports campaign for 2010 alternative budget Government told: be firm on safeguards Farmers fear more losses due to climate change - Sept. 2, 2009 Farmers start feeling pain of climate change Govt now deliberating tariff rate reduction for rice under AFTA-CEPT Economy - June 16, 2009 RP starts hearings on lower tariff reduction for rice under AFTA Economy - June 15, 2009
TRADE G-33 Submission on the SSM: Seasonality, Communication by the G-33 - Feb. 5, 2010 Philippine Statement G-33 Coordinator Statement General Council Meeting - Oct. 14, 2008 RP needs to review current trade commitments - Aug. 7, 2008 RP should go back to drawing table on WTO issues, say analyst, NGOs - Aug. 7, 2008 TWN, Trade: Developing countries call to reassess Doha priorities after talks fail - July 31, 2008 US, rich nations blamed for collapse of WTO talks - July 30, 2008
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