MANILA -- Despite lobbying for amendments in the past years, Agriculture chief Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the Rice Tariffication Law was not a 'total failure'.
Speaking to ANC's Headstart, Tiu Laurel Jr said that he's not blaming anybody because 'it was the best choice to do at that time'. The RTL took effect in March 2019.
However, Tiu Laurel said that the conditions of the rice industry in the world have vastly changed since then, so amendments were necessary.
"It failed in a certain way that with a fixed tariff of 35 percent tas biglang yung world prices from $350 (per metric ton) naging $700, talagang tataas talaga ang gastos," he said.
He said the big jump in rice prices on the world market eventually trickled down and affected local rice prices.
"The tariff should be variable depending on the world price," he added.
Tiu Laurel also said that the country should only import the amount of rice that the country needs and not over-import, which has been an effect of the liberalized system of the RTL that removed caps on imports.
Tiu Laurel said that based on the country's needs, rice imports should only be around 3.6 million metric tons a year. In 2024, rice imports reached 4.8 million metric tons.
For 2025, imports would have reached 4.5 million metric tons if not for the import ban, which will be implemented until the end of the year.
However, he acknowledged that the RTL gave enough budget for mechanization and post-harvest facilities.
The Agriculture chief said the DA is working with the palace on a "rice act" that would "fix issues" on policies, including the NFA mandate. Tiu Laurel said the NFA should focus on helping local stakeholders.
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