The government is prepared to “buy all” rice grown by local farmers for a “reasonable” price, President Duterte declared Wednesday.
The President urged the National Food Authority and the farmers to reach a “compromise” on the purchase of the local harvest to boost their income and improve their plight amid the impact of the rice tariffication law.
“In a democracy, officials are elected and their duty is to do the greatest good for the greatest number. You have seen people going wild, others hungry because there is no rice. The solution will be for the Secretary of Agriculture to buy all,” Duterte said during a press conference in Malacañang.
Duterte explained that purchasing rice from local farmers could be implemented even it would mean financial losses for the government.
“Magkano ba presyo nila, bilhin natin. Lugi? Lugi talaga. Are we wasting money? No. We are not wasting an industry. We are helping an industry,” he added.
The President, however, asked the farmers not to demand an unreasonable price for their harvest, saying Agriculture Secretary William Dar would not agree to such arrangement.
“You cannot demand a price. You arrive at a compromise of how much you’re willing to lose a little bit. Tapatan lang. Basta hindi malugi ‘yung pagod nila. They are compensated,” he said.
“But do not demand a price that is unreasonable because I am sure Secretary Dar would never go into that kind of arrangement,” he added. (Genalyn Kabiling)