The Arroyo government should admit that there is a rice crisis so that it can focus on solving the problem, Senator Richard Gordon said Thursday.
“If we begin to accept that there is a problem, then we can begin to institute measures to address the problem. This is a problem not just of the President but of all leaders. We should focus on the problem and use the scientific method to solve it,†Gordon said at the Kapihan sa Senado.
Gordon said he agreed with increasing the price of rice sold by the National Food Authority, but said that it should be accompanied with other measures.
He proposed that the government work to increase the country’s rice yield to match the required 10 million metric tons of the Philippines’ annual consumption by expanding the irrigation system, using quality seeds, and moving the rice fields to less typhoon-prone areas in Mindanao.
“Right now, we produce 8.5 million metric tons and import the rest…We should focus our efforts on expanding the coverage of irrigation from 8.6 million to two million hectares more to increase productivity,†he said.
Gordon also proposed to reduce the estimated 15 percent losses incurred due to the lack of post-harvest drying facilities. “We should fast-track the construction of rice-drying facilities so that our palay will remain dry and free from pest during the wet season,†he said.
The senator also suggested that the government should seek to bring down production cost by introducing quality seeds and pesticides.
“We should also start looking at alternative carbohydrates sources like yellow corn, cassava, and potato,†he said.
“Lastly, alisin natin ang mga kotong sa highway [let’s do away with extortion in highways] so that we can develop a faster distribution system,†he added.
Citing the food riots in Haiti, Gordon said that the rice crisis was a national security concern that could destabilize the government, along with the soldiers who ha stage coups and communist and Muslim rebels.
Inquirer.net
Linkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=11651.0
Topic: Arroyo told: Admit rice crisis, then focus on solution (Read 940 times)