Cynthia Villar doubts P20-per-kilo rice doable

Bringing down the price of rice to P20 per kilo isn't doable at this time, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture said on Wednesday.

Asked if the government could cause the price of the Filipinos' staple food to go down to P20 a kilo, Senator Cynthia Villar answered in the negative.

"Hindi. Kasi ang cost natin P11.50. To convert it into rice, times two. P11.50 so P23... Paano 'yung pagtransport, 'yung kita ng farmers, and all that? So siguro reasonable P30 plus," Villar said.

(No. Our cost is P11.50. To convert it into rice, times two. P11.50 so 23... How about the cost of transportation, the profit of the farmers, and all that? Perhaps P30 plus is reasonable.) 

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. in late May said that P20 per kilo of rice was "an aspiration

GMA News Online has sought comment from Malacanang as regards Villar's remark.

With the looming food crisis in the country, Villar said there was a need to also look at vegetable production instead of just focusing on rice.

Citing her experience at her farm school, the lawmaker said it earning more by producing vegetables.

"But I see it sa Philippines, hindi nila masyadong ine-emphasize ang vegetable 'di ba. Ang emphasis rice," Villar said.

(In the Philippines, they do not emphasize vegetables. The emphasis is on rice.)

"But rice production in the Philippines is not as competitive [because] Vietnam can produce rice at P6 per kilo," she added.