MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The Bayanihan Para sa Agrikultura Laban sa COVID-19, composed of civil society organization and national federations of farmers, calls on the Department of Agriculture (DA) to expedite the release of Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) and the immediate implementation of programs supported by the rice fund. It is imperative that the RCEF is utilized efficiently and production support and services are distributed equitably among the small rice farmers. Recently, Vietnam suspended its rice exports due to COVID-19. Now Cambodia and India have also stopped signing new export contracts because of the same crisis. Ramping-up production will be crucial considering the imminent prolonged global health pandemic.
The Department of Agriculture projects that we will need 14.5MT for our 2020 rice consumption requirements. Our projected rice production for 2020 will be around 12.2MT with regular and refocused support amounting to around PhP12B.
“For Philippine food security and to ensure our country avoids widespread hunger, we call on the DA to expedite the release of the remaining 2019 RCEF funds and the new RCEF allocation for 2020. Farmers are waiting and many will start planting in a few months, Secretary William Dar has publicly mentioned another PhP32B in additional funds under ALPAS COVID and yet RCEF and its regular budget for the year have yet to benefit our farmers. Maning Rosario a PKSK farmer leader says, “While we welcome this new budget in addition to the RCEF, can the DA deliver this to farmers and do they have the capacity? This is the time that farmers and the country need it most.”
Going through the past performance based on DA data, of the PhP10B RCEF allocation only PhP1.5B has been disbursed last year. Most of the disbursement was utilized under seed and credit distribution. The DA reported that 80% of the PhP3B has been utilized. It is a different issue if the seeds were able to reach the small farmers who were the intended beneficiaries. It is alarming that the PhP5B allocation for mechanization remained largely undistributed. The DA claims that they were still reviewing and assessing the technical requirements of the 944 farmer organizations/coops who will be the recipients of the mechanization support. The remaining 2019 budget along with the 2020 DA budget of PhP64.7B pesos, which includes the regular rice program budget, RCEF allocation for 2020 and the Rice Farmer Financial Assistance (RFFA) Program amounting to PhP3B, in addition to the PhP15B pesos allocation for NFA local palay (rice) procurement and the supplemental funding of PhP32B pesos for COVID response, will be very useful for our rice farmers and other commodities in these pressing times.
If the food producers are to survive the pandemic on a daily basis, they need to call on the DA to simplify requirements so it may cast a wider net to reach more beneficiaries and find innovative ways to distribute the funds and support immediately. This will efficiently mobilize support for the coming rice cropping season. Farmers lament, “We are just recovering and paying off debts incurred from 2 cropping season losses. To provide food for everyone under quarantine and lockdowns, we call on the DA to fast-track delivery of production support in time for May and June planting,” according to Jimmy Tadeo, farmer leader of PARAGOS. Tadeo also added that DA’s support for the wet cropping season is crucial as rainfed farmers who plant only once a year will join this cropping period.
Earlier, Agriculture Secretary William D. Dar promises to provide adequate, accessible and affordable food for every Filipino family through the Ahon Lahat, Pagkaing Sapat or ALPAS COVID-19, otherwise called the Plant, Plant, Plant program. Alongside the provision of all these additional budgetary support, farmer and fisher groups also demand higher transparency and accountability to ensure that funds are spent where they are intended for. #
Article and artwork by Bayanihan sa Agrikultura Laban sa COVID-19. Farmers organization under the APFP-AFOSP Philippines are members of Bayanihan sa Agrikultura Laban sa COVID-19.
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