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Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr says costs of agricultural products would lower if the country has more ports
MANILA, Philippines – Ships are unable to unload their rice cargoes due to port congestion, keeping imported rice prices from dropping P7 per kilo, Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr said in a press conference on Monday, September 16.
“There’s port congestion, then there [are] delays,” said Tiu Laurel. “Unloading is low.”
According to the agriculture chief, there are 20 ships in Bataan currently waiting to be unloaded. There are also ships waiting in ports in Subic, Manila, and Batangas.
Port congestion is delaying imported rice supply from entering the market, thus keeping rice prices high contrary to the government’s forecast of prices dropping P7 per kilo after they effectively lowered rice tariffs from 35% to 15% last July through Executive Order No. 62.
“Ideally, when it arrives, it should be unloaded immediately,” said Tiu Laurel. “But we have, I think, boats now waiting for a week or two na eh (already). There’s a lack of ports in the country.”
Having the right number of agri-ports, he added, would lower the cost of farm inputs such as fertilizers, feeds, and seeds.
The agriculture chief said effects of the lowered tariffs should be felt by mid-October, as the country still has two months’ worth of old stocks to be sold at more expensive prices.
“Expected range is P5 to P7 naman ‘di ba? So hopefully, at least P5 should be achievable,“ he said. (Expected range [of rice price drop] is P5 to P7, right? So hopefully, at least P5 should be achievable.)
As of September 13, imported regular-milled rice ranged from P42 to P50 while imported well-milled rice sold from P45 to P55.
A month before the move to lower tariffs, the House of Representatives and the DA announced their target to reduce the price of rice to below P30 per kilo. House Speaker Martin Romualdez said then that they were “confident” they could lower prices as early as July.
Agricultural groups previously asked the Supreme Court to impose a temporary restraining order on EO 62, saying reduced tariffs only penalize local producers, hurt consumers, and deprive government of revenues. – Rappler.com
