PhilConGrains Speaks on Possibility of “P20/Kilo Rice” Next Year
PHILCONGRAINS – The Philippine Confederation of Grains Association said that rice to be sold at P20/kilo is far from possible in 2023.
The victory of President Bongbong Marcos Jr. undeniably ignited the Filipinos’ hope that the price of rice will be lower. Many people now are financially struggling and several families are fighting poverty and hunger due to the high costs of a lot of products including basic goods and commodities.
Marcos Jr. previously mentioned in his vlog his aspiration for a lower price for rice. Currently, the prices of good quality rice do not fall below P40 per kilo. The said amount is already a huge challenge to a lot of households in the country. The price of rice can be as much as P55 per kilo depending on the quality or brand of grains.
However, according to the Philippine Confederation of Grains Association (PhilConGrains), the “P20/kilo rice” that many Filipinos are hoping for is far from possible in 2023.
Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, Philippine Confederation of Grains Association (PhilConGrains) president Joji Co said on TeleRadyo that the problem of the high costs of fertilizer is on a global level. She stressed that the prices of fertilizers have doubled or tripled already.
Furthermore, there is an insufficient supply of fertilizers now due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. The PhilConGrains President stressed that many rice farmers are no longer interested in planting grains as they don’t make profits anymore and they are also struggling with the continued importation of rice in the country.
According to Co, it is already years now that the grains industry in the country is not attended to well. Thus, rice mills are afraid to invest huge amounts of money in the fear of unstable policies amid the changing of administrations.
Based on the report, former Agrarian Reform Secretary Bernie Cruz previously expressed that the price of rice may be dropped to P20/kilo through a “mega farm”.
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