Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has warned that the country’s rice farming sector faces a grim future unless the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) is amended to restore stronger government control over rice importation and retail. “I really feel that the RTL, as it is written today, will kill our rice industry. If it […]
By Giselle P. Jordan Ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), farmers’ groups listed a comprehensive set of demands, centered on land reform, rice policy and other agricultural concerns. During their State of the Peasant Address 2025 on Thursday, farmers urged Marcos to certify the enactment of the Genuine Agrarian […]
MANILA: Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos has urged colleagues in the House of Representatives to prioritise deliberations on proposed amendments to Republic Act No. 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), to ensure sustained availability of affordable rice in public markets. In a statement on Monday (July 21), Santos said the benefits promised under […]
Story by Paige Javier. MANILA — The House Quinta Committee or ‘Murang Pagkain Super Committee’ revealed its preliminary findings aimed at addressing smuggling and alleged price manipulation of basic goods and essential commodities. Among the panel’s suggestions were to bring back the tariffs on imported rice to 35 percent from 15 percent at present, and […]
By Franco Jose C. Baroña. THE Philippines has overtaken all other countries to become the world’s top rice importer in 2024, an ominous milestone that experts warn signals not progress but the disintegration of the nation’s food security. A landmark policy paper released this week by the Integrated Rural Development Foundation (IRDF) paints a stark […]
By Giselle P. Jordan. THE National Food Authority’s (NFA) rice buffer stocks have reached a five-year high of 7.17 million 50-kilogram bags, the agency said on Tuesday, enough for nine days of national consumption. The agency attributed this to higher palay buying prices, which averaged P27 per kilogram (kg) last year and is currently at […]
By TED CORDERO, GMA Integrated News The National Food Authority (NFA) on Tuesday said it has grown its rice buffer stock to its highest level in five years. In a statement, the NFA said it has built a buffer stock of about 7.17 million 50-kilogram bags of milled rice. The grains agency said this is […]
By: Gabriel Pabico Lalu. MANILA, Philippines — Former Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos has assured farmers that he will push for Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) amendments should he gain a Senate seat in the 2025 midterm elections. Abalos, responding to calls for him to meet farmworkers in Nueva Ecija, said in a meeting with stakeholders that […]
By: Jordeene B. Lagare MANILA, Philippines — The National Food Authority (NFA) is seeking an additional budget of P9 billion this year to cover the additional cost of increasing its buffer stock, as mandated by the amended Rice Tariffication Law. Republic Act No. 12078, the amended RTL signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last December, […]
The National Food Authority (NFA) will need to secure additional funding to cover the increase in the national rice buffer stock mandated under the amended Rice Tariffication Law. NFA Administrator Larry Lacson explained that a new provision in Republic Act 12078, signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last month, now requires the government […]
