Former Agrarian Reform Secretary Bernie Cruz is offering an alternative program for "Karding"-hit farmers by encouraging agriculture groups, business sectors, and action centers to buy the damaged rice of farmers in Nueva Ecija and Tarlac at a low cost.

According to Cruz, the alternative rice shopping program for farmers is a program of the former secretary to sell at P28/per kilo in the market and help farmers recover from typhoon "Karding."

Cruz went on to say that their group, which includes some businessmen, cooperative groups, and agricultural sector farmers, bought up to 200 tons of rice.

"The objective is to help farmers recover from the effects of typhoon "Karding" and thus lower the cost of rice in the market," Cruz said in a telephone interview.

P28 rice price eyed

Before this, the Department of Agriculture estimated that the damage caused by typhoon "Karding" in the agricultural sector would reach more than P163 million and that 3,700 farmers would be affected by the damage in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Central Luzon, Calabarzon and Bicol Region.

According to Cruz, its goal is that the rice purchased by farmers at a low price will be sold at a lower price of P28 per kilo in the market.

In this regard, the former secretary is optimistic that the price of rice in the market can be lowered to a lower value this December.

First proposed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his campaign promise this past election was to lower the price by P20 per 1 kilo of rice.