MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to distribute in September some P12 billion in cash aid to help rice farmers meet their daily subsistence and personal needs. The DA is providing P5,000 to each of the 2.4 million rice farmers who are eligible beneficiaries under the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance (RFFA) program, which is funded from the excess tariff collections from the importation of the staple food. READ: Review of rice tariffication law pushedAny amount exceeding this can then be used for the RFFA and other programs to help rice farmers. Compensation schemeThe RFFA seeks to provide relief to eligible rice farmers throughout the implementation of the RTL, which was enacted in 2019 and will lapse in 2024. Under this program, rice farmers who are tilling two hectares or less are compensated for their projected reduction or income loss as a result of the lifting of the quantitative restriction on rice imports.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer June 27, 2024 09:33 UTC