Senator Imee Marcos on Sunday questioned the continued use of imported rice in the government’s “benteng bigas” program, despite the ongoing harvest season and the absence of any declared supply shortage.

In a statement, the Presidential sister expressed concern that some officials may be prioritizing profit over the welfare of local farmers.

“Malinaw naman na walang shortage dahil wala pang idinedeklara ang DA (It is clear there is no shortage because the Department of Agriculture has not declared any),” she said, referring to the Department of Agriculture.

The senator argued that the country’s local production remains sufficient to support the program, which distributes subsidized rice at 20 pesos per kilo. 

She noted that even if each household receives up to 30 kilograms per month, total annual demand would still fall within domestic output.

Marcos also slammed officials of the Food Terminal Incorporated (FTI), alleging that some may be favoring importation to maintain their positions rather than fulfilling the agency’s mandate to support local producers.

She raised concerns over the apparent inactivity of FTI’s Trading Unit, which is tasked with directly purchasing produce from farmers.

“Kung may Trading Unit, bakit hindi direktang kinukuha ang ani ng ating mga magsasaka? (If there is a Trading Unit, why isn’t it directly purchasing the harvest from our farmers?),” she asked.

The lawmaker further warned against reviving contract growing arrangements merely to justify continued rice importation, stressing that such moves could disadvantage Filipino farmers during peak harvest.

“Anihan na, bakit pa mag-iimport? Babaratin na naman ba natin ang sarili nating mga magsasaka? (It’s already harvest season, why are we still importing? Are we going to underprice our own farmers again?),” Marcos said.

She emphasized that government agencies should prioritize protecting farmers and strengthening local agriculture rather than enabling opportunistic practices.

“Ang ating sariling kagawaran ay dapat tumulong sa mga magsasaka, hindi protektahan ang mga oportunistang kumikita sa kahirapan ng ating agrikultura (Our own department should help farmers, not protect opportunists who profit from the struggles of our agriculture sector),” she said.