Unless the government is serious in encouraging the poor farmers to boost rice production through the increased buying price of palay by the National Food Authority, vast tracts of farmlands will remain idle for months.
Because even if the government has increased the buying price of palay to P17 per kilo, the poor farmers will remain adamant to cultivate their fields due to high cost of inputs and probably, the lack of irrigation system in their areas.
It is not enough that the government should raise the buying price of palays, it should likewise lend support to the farmers by allowing them to borrow money for fertilizers and labor costs to till the lands in preparation for planting. Otherwise, it would be another futile attempt by the government to entice the farmers to join the feast.
In the rural areas, the most common problems among farmers are the absence of ready cash and inputs are controlled by the Filipino-Chinese traders who sometimes refuse to buy palays at the right buying price. This is a big dilemma often experienced by these farmers, and the government should correct this.
I think the responsibilities of the Task Force on Anti-Rice Hoarding should not be limited to hoarding but also to look after those who make life harder for the farmers.