“I want to help our local farmers to become competitive.

To ensure the competitiveness of Filipino farmers, Sen. Cynthia Villar is batting for P10 billion “enhancement fund” for local farmers upon the passage of the rice tariffication measure.

Villar, chairman of the Senate committee on agriculture, said the P10 billion enhancement fund will ensure protection of local farmers when rice tariffication takes effect.

Under the rice tariffication measure, anybody can import rice provided they pay 35 percent in tariff.

“I will pass it because the (Department of Finance) already agreed to put P10 billion for rice competitive enhancement fund and the national single window system. Everything will be computerized and there will be automatic taxes,” said Villar.

“That’s the only way we can protect them (local rice producers),” she added.

Villar expressed optimism that the House of Representatives will have its version of the measure after the passage in the Senate.

“I want to help our local farmers to become competitive,” Villar said.

The enhancement fund, Villar ensured, could be used to assist farmers groups to mechanize, improve production and ease up the labor.

She noted that local farmers spent P12 to produce a kilogram of palay while Vietnamese farmers spend only half – apparently because of modernized farming technology.

“We need to mechanize because young people do not want to plant by hand,” Villar pointed out.

She said farmers group will be provided with free equipment to mechanize their farms.

The senator maintained that there is no rice shortage but blamed the National Food Authority (NFA) for its failure to perform its mandate to ensure enough buffer stock.

“According to report, we have no shortage. We produce enough rice but the problem is the NFA,” Villar said.

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