RICE TRADERS PROTEST NBI RAIDS
ROSALES, PANGASINAN, APRIL 25, 2008 (STAR) By Eva Visperas – About 600 rice mill owners of Pangasinan bonded themselves together to protest the alleged harassment of millers following the raid by National Bureau of Investigation agents on several local rice warehouses as part of the crackdown against hoarders.The rice millers complained that their buyers in Metro Manila have also stopped buying from them as a consequence of the raids.
Rosendo So, president of the Eastern Pangasinan Filipino- Chinese Chamber of Commerce and spokesman of the Rice Millers Association of Pangasinan, told The STAR that they sought for the intervention of Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, the senators, six Pangasinan congressmen and the governor to stop the harassment of rice millers.
So said the traders were harassed by the raids being conducted by agents of the NBI and the National Food Authority which inspects their warehouses.
The NBI-Dagupan team raided three rice warehouses in Tayug town the other day.
Lawyer Dave Alunan, executive officer of NBI-Dagupan clarified that the operation was not a raid but they only accompanied NFA inspectors.
“That is the good result of what we are doing,” Alunan said, noting that rice millers are now cooperating with the NFA for the good of the public and are willing to sell their grains to the government.
So said that their buyers from Metro Manila have stopped buying from them for fear of harassment from government agents.
He said five days ago, the palay price per kilogram bought by millers was P19 but it suddenly dropped to P16.20 a kilo.
“If these raids continue, it will continuously drop to P12 per kilogram,” he said.
The poor farmers will suffer because rice millers will not buy their produce anymore, So said. This will paralyze the farmers, he added.
He said if this continues, the government should instead buy the farmers’ produce and stop importing in order to save money.
So said imported rice expected to arrive in the country by May is 339,000 metric tons and each bag was bought at P2,450.
Rice millers offer their produce to NFA at P1,600 per bag, or a savings of P800 per bag.
He said 50 percent of local rice production is consumed here while the remainder is traded in Metro Manila and other provinces.
“There should be a definition of hoarding. If they don’t sell and merely stock, that’s hoarding,” he said.
So said that there is no rice shortage but a surplus in the provinces and the government should buy locally-produced rice instead of importing grains.
He said there should be a dialogue between the government and the rice millers to address the problem.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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