DA urged to look into 'rejects' imported hybrid seedlings

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has been urged to look into reports that imported hybrid seedlings being distributed to local farmers were "rejects."

This was brought to the attention of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. by Senator Cynthia Villar during the oversight hearing on the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) provided under the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

"I want to share [with] you 'yung sinasabi ng mga farmer recently. Dati gusto nila yung hybrid seedling. Alam ko, 'yung hybrid seedlings pang-mayaman 'yan e kasi mahal. That's okay. Pero ang sinasabi nila ang mga rice farmer daw ayaw na recently ng hybrid seedling kasi ayaw daw tumubo," Villar shared.

(I want to share with you what some farmers told me recently. They wanted hybrid seedlings before. From what I know, hybrid seedlings are for the rich because they are expensive. That's okay. But I was told that rice farmers no longer want hybrid seedlings because they do not grow.)

"May chismis na 'yung binibili daw natin sa abroad ay reject nila. 'Yung mga hindi nila tinatanim, ipinagbibili sa atin tapos pagdating sa Pilipinas, ayaw daw tumubo. I just want to inform Secretary Tiu about this chismis para you will be guided accordingly," she added.

(There are rumors that we purchased rejects from abroad. What other countries didn't plant, they sold to us. And when these seedlings arrived in the Philippines, they would not grow. I just want to inform Secretary Tiu about this rumor so you will be guided accordingly.)

Villar, who presided over the hearing, pointed out that the DA should oversee the use of the P30 billion budget for the National Rice Program as P15 billion of which is used to buy hybrid seedlings of rice.

She also noted that the funds for the National Rice Program needs oversight because it is not like RCEF which "cannot be controlled by anyone" as its use is specified under the RTL.

"Kaya kung hindi niyo ma-take yung RCEF, pakialaman niyo 'yung National Rice Program kasi 'yung National Rice Program natin ngayon, mas malaki ang budget kaysa sa RCEF. Right now, it has a P30-billion budget and P15 billion of which is used for buying hybrid seedling of rice. Mas mahal 'yan e. Ang local seedling is about P30 per kilo. Ang hybrid seedling is P250 per kilo," she said.

(So if you can't handle the RCEF, look into the National Rice Program because it has a bigger budget. Right now, it has a P30-billion budget and P15 billion of which is used for buying hybrid seeding of rice. That's more expensive. The local seedling is about P30 per kilo. The hybrid seedling is P250 per kilo.)

Apart from the importation of hybrid seedlings, Villar also raised with the DA the "big disbursements" from the National Rice Program for the purchase of chemical fertilizers.

"We import P10 billion worth of chemical fertilizer every year. Ang problema ng (The problem with) chemical fertilizer, 38% of the soil of the Philippines are degraded," she said.

Villar pointed out the importance of composting and production of organic fertilizers as suggested by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Tiu Laurel was not able to respond to Villar's suggestions during the hearing. — VDV, GMA Integrated News