A RESOLUTION urging the House of Representatives to conduct an investigation for the closure of small-scale rice and corn mills in over a thousand barangays in a span of a decade was filed on Monday.
There is a need to examine the effectiveness of state agriculture programs and interventions for the local rice and corn industries amid the “alarming” closure of the grain mills as cheap imported staple products flood the market, according to House Resolution (HR) No. 2150 filed by Party-list Rep. Wilbert T. Lee.
“This issue needs to be addressed immediately because if it remains unresolved, the number of rice and corn millers shutting down may increase in the coming years, especially if tariffs remain low and the influx of imported products continues in the market,” he said in a statement in Filipino.
Small-scale grain millers throughout 1,040 barangays nationwide have closed since 2013, according to Mr. Lee, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“It’s concerning that many rice and corn millers in numerous barangays across the country are shutting down because they can’t compete with the influx of cheaper imported products in the market,” he said.
The congressman said the government should look at addressing inflation by providing ample support to the agriculture sector while reducing import dependency. “If they (local producers) continue to be disadvantaged by imported products… affordable food will remain just a pipe dream.”
In June 2024, President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. issued Executive Order No. 62, which reduced rice import tariffs to 15% from 35% to address soaring prices of rice products in mid-2024.
Rice imports have reached a record-high 4.6 million metric tons as of Dec. 26, 2024, according to data from the Bureau of Plant and Industry. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
