As discussions around food prices continue to stir public interest, agriculture leaders say there’s more to the story than meets the eye — especially when it comes to rice and pork.

Rosendo So, chairman of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG), said the government’s move to sell rice at P20 per kilo hasn’t negatively affected local farmers — at least for now.

“So far, we haven’t seen any adverse effect on our farmers,” So said in a radio interview. “The P20-per-kilo rice is subsidized, and millers and traders are still buying palay from farmers at decent prices.”

He also clarified that locally produced rice is still the main supply in markets, not imports.

“If you see rice being sold at P38 per kilo, that’s from our local farmers. Imported rice — like the 5 percent broken variety — is still being sold at P45 to P50 per kilo in the market,” he explained.

But while prices are stable for now, So pointed to a major concern: lost government revenue from rice tariffs.

“In a hearing earlier this year, NEDA admitted that lowering tariffs didn’t really help bring down prices. That’s why an MSRP (maximum suggested retail price) was set instead,” So said.

He added that from the time the lower tariff was implemented until April this year, the government has lost an estimated P24 billion in potential collections.

“That’s P24 billion that should have gone to our farmers,” So emphasized. Under the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), all tariff collections are supposed to support the agriculture sector.

Meanwhile, Danilo Fausto, president of the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food Inc., shared his insights on the pricing and supply of rice and pork.

“When demand drops, prices go down. But if supply is low, we can expect prices to go up,” Fausto said, noting how price swings are deeply influenced by market dynamics.

On the issue of removing the pork price cap or MSRP, Fausto believes the government has two options if it wants to keep prices low: provide subsidies or impose tariffs.

“In our case, we should go for subsidies. That way, we can protect our poorest families,” he said. “Those in the upper-middle class can still afford to buy premium products — they’re not the ones we need to worry about.”

As food prices remain a top concern for millions of Filipinos, both agriculture leaders agree: strategic government intervention is key — but it must be done in a way that protects farmers, supports the poor, and sustains the local food industry.