Farmers will begin to reap benefits from P10-B RCEF – DA

During the remaining months of the year, Filipino farmers will begin to feel the intended benefits from the P10-billion fund created for them under the Rice Tariffication Law, Department of Agriculture Regional Director Roy Abaya told the House Committee on Agriculture and Food on Monday.

Under the said law, a P10-billion Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), P5 billion of which would be allotted to farm mechanization, P3 billion to seedlings, and P1 billion to expanded rice credit assistance.

"Yung initial release for RCEF ngayon pa lang po [masisimulang] mararamdaman," Abaya told lawmakers during the hearing.

The DA regional director added that a special allotment release order was issued on July 18 covering the partial release of the RCEF fund amounting to P5 billion.

Of this amount, P2.094 billion was allocated for the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), P2.05 for the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech), and the remaining P1 billion was for the extension component of the RCEF fund.

The fund for the extension component covers the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (P700 million), Agricultural Training Institute (P100 million), PhilRice (P100 million), and PhilMech (P100 million).

"Starting ngayong September, gagawin na namin yung pag-integrate ng lahat ng mga component na napapaloob sa RCEF. So magkakaroon tayo ng isang program kung saan makikita kung paano nagco-complement ang lahat ng mga component para sa layuning mapaangat ang kita ng mga magsasaka," Abaya explained.

"So we will start kung ano yung mga ine-expect namin na mai-deliver na component mula ngayon hanggang December o hanggang matapos ang taon."

Starting October, the delivery and distribution of 2.12 million bags of certified seeds in 57 provinces and 747 municipalities would begin, and so too would programs and technical briefings in target towns, Abaya added.

Meanwhile, the agricultural machinery and equipment for the beneficiaries would be delivered beginning December until February 2020.

The Rice Tariffication Law allows unlimited importation of rice as long as private sector traders secure a phytosanitary permit from the Bureau of Plant Industry and pay the 35-percent tariff for shipments from neighbors in Southeast Asia.

But despite the law's good intentions, it had also been blamed for the drop in the prices of palay harvested by local farmers. — DVM, GMA News