Provincial Legislators and agriculture officials tackled rice crisis in the province in a public hearing held on August 7, 2025, at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya, citing the Rice Tariffication Law and the reduced powers of the National Food Authority (NFA) as major causes of reducing palay price.

BM Wilson D. Salas, Chairperson, Committee on Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, opened the session by assessing NFA’s authority to regulate prices and enforce market rules. He argued that the ₱10 billion in tariff collections from rice imports should be used to increase NFA’s capitalization for palay procurement rather than equipment purchases. Salas also highlighted the proposed Rice Industrial Consumer Enhancement (RICE) Act, which seeks to restore some of NFA’s powers, including licensing, market monitoring and warehouse inspection.

DA officials reported ongoing subsidy programs, including selling rice at ₱20 per kilo to vulnerable sectors, and suggested temporarily suspending imports during peak harvests. Ms. Marcelina Domingo, NFA- Nueva Vizcaya Manager explained that strict quality standards, storage limits, and a mandate limited to buffer stocking restrict their ability to further help farmers. BM. Flodemonte S. Gerdan raised concerns over high farm input costs, fertilizer pricing, and unmonitored use of government-distributed farm machinery, noting that some cooperatives charge higher fees than private providers.

According to Gerdan, Nueva Vizcaya produces more rice than it consumes, creating an excess supply problem that requires new market solutions, thus stressing the need for better coordination and calibration of agricultural programs from national to local levels, citing issues like late delivery of seeds and fertilizer.

Proposals from the hearing included expanding NFA storage facilities, allowing LGUs to procure unlimited rice under the “KADIWA ng Pangulo” program, and strengthening the Rice for all program to help cooperatives sell members’ harvests.

During the public hearing, provincial legislators and other key actors agreed that adding more NFA storage facilities could help small and remote farmers access the Palay Procurement Program. BM Martinez shared past successful schemes for warehouse expansion, while clarifying that the Governor only relayed, not issued, the SRP directive for imported rice, which came from the DILG. Chair Salas suggested that instead of facility expansion, NFA funds should be used directly to buy more palay and proposed lending idle provincial vehicles during peak season.

The meeting which highlighted the privilege speech of BM Salas on issues concerning price per kilo of rice ended with assurance of continued legislative support to explore both national and local interventions to protect farmers’ incomes while ensuring rice affordability for consumers. /gpp

[This article was initially created on Facebook – Provincial Government of Nueva Vizcaya. For PGNV updates, visit: https://www.facebook.com/vizcayareporter]