Marcos orders floor price for palay, review of NFA charter

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants an established floor price for the buying of palay to shield the country's farmers from traders who buy their produce at low prices.

In a meeting at Malacanang, Marcos also ordered a review of the National Food Authority (NFA) charter and the proposed necessary amendments to Republic Act  No. 12078 or the amended Agricultural Tariffication Law of 2024 to strengthen the provision on farmer support services.

RA 12078 extended the implementation of the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) until 2031.

The NFA should return to its original mandate of stabilizing prices instead of relying on importation, which was never part of its core function, the President said.

Marcos directed the Department of Agriculture (DA)  to coordinate with relevant offices, such as the Office of the Executive Secretary and the Office of Senator Francis "KIko" Pangilinan, for the drafting of an executive order on the palay buying floor price.

Pangilinan, former presidential assistant on food security, earlier pitched the palay floor price, especially during peak harvest season when palay prices remain low to the detriment of the farmers.

Marcos also directed the DA to ensure the full implementation of the Republic Act No. 11321 or the Sagip Saka Act, which allows government agencies and local government units to buy agricultural products directly from accredited farmers and fisherfolk.

He said the full rollout of the law will support farmers and the Benteng Bigas program, which makes rice available at PhP20 per kilo.

The DA and the Department of Agrarian Reform were also tasked to work with Congress on the creation of the Congressional Commission on Agriculture, Fisheries, and Food Security (AGRICOM), as proposed by Pangilinan.

Modeled after the Congressional Commission on Education, the proposed AGRICOM aims to provide an institutional mechanism for assessing the state of agriculture and fisheries and recommending necessary reforms.

Marcos convened the meeting with legislators, including Pangilinan, to address the problems faced by the agricultural sector.

Also present at the meeting were Quezon City 1st District Rep. Mark Enverga, head of the House of Representatives committee on agriculture and food; Apayao Lone District Rep. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang, chairperson of House committee on agrarian reform, Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Conrado Estrella III. —LDF, GMA Integrated News