Manila Bulletin

Gov’t asked to stop rise in food prices

By BEN R. ROSARIO

Economic experts among members of the House of Representatives called on government intervention to address the high food prices that has become a major contributor to the high inflation rate despite remaining at 4.5 percent.

Reps. Joey Sarte Salceda (PDP-Laban, Albay) and Stella Luz Quimbo (LP, Marikina City) agreed that food prices are main contributors to the unwelcome inflation rate.

“As meat remains the major contributor to inflation, especially food inflation, decisive action is now needed. I have my reservations about EO 128, but now that it is law, we must give it a chance to work,” said Salceda, chairman of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Quimbo, a member of the minority bloc, said food and non-alcoholic beverages make up 40.9 percent of the overall inflation.

“This was driven mainly by the inflation in meat, such as pork - ang inflation ng karne ay umabot ng 22.1 percent, ang pinakamataas ngayong taon (inflation on pork reached 22.1 percent, the highest in the current year). The next main contributor, with a 32-percent share in overall inflation, is transportation,” said Quimbo.

She lamented that tricycle fare alone has increased by 46.4 percent compared to the March, 2020 rate.

“These latest figures highlight the urgent need for policies that can help bring down commodity prices, particularly, food prices,” the opposition solon noted. “At this point, our local production is struggling due to ASF (African Swine Fever). Hog raisers need to be able to sell at a price that’s reasonably high enough for them to recover costs."

She called on government to “provide temporary support and buy high” from producers while selling low to consumers.

“It can ensure that prices are fair and competitive by temporarily bringing supply directly to the market. Naisalba ang local industry, napamura pa ang presyo ng baboy. (The local industry will be saved and the price of pork reduced),” the former university professor said.

Quimbo stressed: “But government intervention through procurement should only be done on a temporary basis, during this state of emergency.”

Salceda said EO 128 should be given a chance to work in reducing the high price and shortage of pork supply.

The controversial presidential order provides for reduce tariffs on imported pork and the increase in minimum access volume.

Local hog raisers and pork distributors have assailed the directive, pointing out that it will be detrimental to the industry that has been reeling from the ASF crisis.

“Whether we like it or not, domestic supply, for now cannot handle the demand for pork meat and stabilize prices. We have to import for the moment,” said Salceda.

“We need long-run investments in biosafety, better feeding, and valuechains for the domestic pork industry. But long-run solutions take time,” the Bicolano solon stated.

“I have proposed measures to expand crop insurance for livestock, invest in biosafety facilities, and develop value chains for agriculture. But for now, immediate supply stabilization via a balance of imports and domestic supply management is the key,” he explained.

Salceda appealed to the Department of Agriculture “to help small players, farmer groups, and the domestic swine industry participate in the import market. I support their effort to distribute freezers to small players.”

“At the same time, we must ensure that domestic players, especially backyard hog raisers who account for 70 percent of pork production, are protected from any further outbreaks of the African Swine Fever. Domestic supply defense will remain absolutely critical, as the rest of the world is also facing ASF,” the administration solon said.

National News

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2021-05-06T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-05-06T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://manilabulletin.pressreader.com/article/282398402285084

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