LUCENA CITY — With the passage of the rice tariffication bill, the farmers should exert efforts to be more competitive against the expected flood of cheap imported rice, Sen. Cynthia Villar said. It has to be done with the help of the farmers,” Villar, chair of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, said in an interview here Saturday afternoon. On Thursday, the bicameral conference committee approved the rice tariffication bill, which aims to replace the quantitative restrictions on rice imports with tariffs. Rice FundThe bill also earmarks P10 billion for the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund, or Rice Fund, which will be allotted to the provision of farm machinery and equipment, seed production and training on rice farming, among others. And the tariff will proceed to the Rice Fund to make our farmers more competitive,” the senator explained.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 25, 2018 21:33 UTC