On Farmworker Appreciation Day, Senator Imee Marcos called for “genuine reforms” to address what she described as a long-standing crisis in the country’s agricultural sector.
In a statement Friday, Marcos said that while farmers are honored in name, they remain neglected in government priorities. She lamented that Filipino farmers continue to suffer from low incomes, rising debt and poor living conditions.
Marcos appealed for a farmgate floor price for rice and other agricultural products, arguing that relying on suggested retail prices benefits retailers but shortchanges producers.
“How can farmers recover when rice is being bought at P15 per kilo, while their production costs are even higher than that?” she asked. “It’s time we pass our own version of a ‘farm bill’ — one that truly protects farmgate prices and ensures income for our heroes in the fields.”
The senator also pointed out the lack of post-harvest facilities, such as drying pavements, which she said leads to massive crop losses.
According to Marcos, up to 23 percent of harvested rice is lost during post-harvest processes, with farmers often forced to dry their grains on roads where they can become contaminated or crushed.
She also cited growing debt and rising suicide rates among farmers, urging the government to back its words of appreciation with meaningful action, real protection and sustained investment.
