PRESS RELEASE
4 June 2009

House passed Corporate Farming bill; Solon, civil society urged Senate to drop the bill

Non-government organization Rice Watch and Action Network (R1) hit House Speaker Prospero Nograles and other legislators who passed the Corporate Farming bill and urged the Senators to block this measure that will threaten the farmers’ livelihood and the environment due to potential land conversion and massive chemical farming.

“We hope that the Senators will not follow the apparent rush of the House of Representatives to pass anti-people laws and inadequately consulting the farmers and civil society groups,” said Jessica Reyes-Cantos, R1 lead convenor.

The legislator from the 4th district of Quezon, Rep. Erin Tañada voted against the bill yesterday as he noted the government reneging on its responsibility to support the marginalized sectors of rice farmers and develop the local rice industry.

“This is a recycled strategy. The Corporate Farming Program of the Marcos Era failed. What difference does the proposed Corporate Farming Program now has to ensure that it will not repeat history? There is nothing new,” said Rep. Tañada.
                                                                                               
R1, in its statement released to the media, said corporate farming intends to give full and extensive control to owners of corporate farms, more likely mega-corporations, not only over the farms but over the whole chain of functions involved in the rice and corn industry.

Section 2-b of the approved bill states, “Corporations/partnerships may purchase or lease on a long-term basis, public or private agricultural land suitable for rice/corn production, whereby the corporations/partnerships are given full management and production control over the purchased or leased lands or may enter into contractual arrangements, or joint ventures with landowners, farmers’ organizations and ARCs.”

“Potentially quick cash from sale of the land will naturally be enticing for the rice farmers as they hardly get this much amount amid increasing cost of production, minimal government support and profit that comes in a pittance,” Cantos explained.

In his explanation of vote at the plenary session yesterday, Tañada explained that the program lacks an overall framework on the kind of production technology it will promote in the production of the country’s staple food.

Tañada expressed doubt that the corporations will be using organic and other sustainable agriculture technology in their rice production.

“Uninformed about the causes of global warming and the contribution of chemical farming to greenhouse gas emissions, the bill even includes timberlands and pasture lands in this and worse, compelled the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to follow suit,” Tañada explained.

R1 expressed alarm that the corporations will get undue incentives for investing in rice and corn production for saving the government from its responsibility of developing the local rice and corn industry.

“Loans incentives that have been the dream of rice farmers are provided for under this law to the participating corporations. These incentives that have been the farmers’ clamor to lead the local rice industry to a competitive advantage against its ASEAN rice-exporting neighbors are now given to the corporations in a silver platter,” Cantos said.

House Bill 6073 was passed on third reading on the last day of the chamber’s session before the break.

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