00:00Imported grain is the bane of Filipino rice farmers.
00:03Hence the president's order yesterday, scrapping rice importation for two months,
00:07which hopefully translates to billions of pesos in savings for distribution to the sector,
00:13dubbed the spine of the nation in this report.
00:17The harvest season has begun in several rice farms in Nueva Ecia,
00:22but farmers groups are raising concerns.
00:24They were already battered by typhoons, now they're earning less.
00:28For the last month, or the past two months, the prices have been at 8 to 10 pesos per kilo.
00:36And the cost of producing the palai is, by PSA data, is 14.75 per kilo.
00:43So there's a big loss, a big experience by the farmers.
00:51The farmers blame imported rice.
00:52From January to July this year, imported rice shipments have already hit 2.4 million metric tons.
00:59The price of the imported rice has gone down.
01:02Ang landed cost dyan na sa 25 pesos lang.
01:05Napaka baba no, rice yun.
01:08Tinitignan ng mga traders and millers.
01:11Kaya hanggang dun lang talaga sa presyo na yun, ang pagbili na niya ng palai sa ating mga farmers.
01:16Babagsak pa lalo ang presyo ng palai pagdating ng October, November.
01:22Because of this, President Ferdinand R. Marcus Jr. is ordering a 60-day rice importation ban starting September,
01:30just in time for the peak harvest season.
01:32Kailangan isuspend po ito dahil po maganda po ang anin ng ating mga farmers
01:36para hindi po maapektuhan ang presyo nito at hindi maabuso ng ibang mga slood traders.
01:41The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food welcomed the move.
01:46Tapaka inigite, but nevertheless, it still is a good move and a welcome news for us.
01:55In a recent monitoring by the Department of Agriculture, DA in Nueva Ecia,
01:59farm gate prices of palai rose from 11 pesos last week to 15 pesos per kilo
02:04after the announcement of the import ban.
02:07The main harvest is expected to yield around 11 million metric tons.
02:11Sa kabuan, sa bawat piso na pagtaas sa farm gate,
02:16ang babalik sa ating mga magsasaka ay 11 billion pesos.
02:21Despite the importation ban, the DA assures the public that rice supply is enough.
02:26Sapat ang volume, ang supply inventory ng ating bigas.
02:31Wala tayong inasahan na biglaan sa ating price surges ng bigas in the coming days,
02:38even with the import ban.
02:41Sales of 20 peso rice will continue.
02:44A lifeline for senior street vendor Lola Edna, who relies on it to get through each day.
02:50The DA estimates that the NFA's rice inventory will rise to 9 million sacks,
03:03enough to support the 20 peso rice program and fund relief operations during calamities.
03:07This is Sharm Zespina from the National TV Network for a new and better Philippines.
