Ipinapanukala ni Nueva Ecija Rep. Ria Vergara na palawigin ang implementasyon ng rice competitiveness enhancement fund o RCEF program.
Sa kaniyang House Bill 9547, aamyendahan ang Agricultural Tariffication Act upang mula sa anim na taon ay gawing nang 12 taon ang implementasyon ng programa.
Batay sa batas, sa ika-anim na taon ng RCEF ay isasailalim ito sa mandatory review upang malaman kung ipagpapatuloy, aamyendahan o tuluyang tatapusin.
Ngayong 2024, nakatakdang magtapos ang implementasyon ng RCEF.
“The tariffs collected from rice imports are reinvested back into the local rice industry through the annual P10-billion RCEF. The fund earmarks resources for the modernization of the agriculture sector and provides farmers with greater direct access to credit, high-quality seeds, agricultural machinery, and skills training on modern farming technologies. Rice farmers have also received P8.2 billion direct and unconditional cash aid from the 2019 to 2021 rice tariff collections in excess of P10 billion under the Rice Farmers Financial Assistance program.” saad ni Vergara sa explanatory note ng panukala.
Para kay Vergara, malaki ang naitulong ng RCEF sa sektor ng pagbibigas sa bansa lalo na pagdating sa pagkakaroon ng makinarya, access sa pautang, binhi at maging unconditional cash aid, kaya naman marapat lang na maipagpatuloy pa ito.
Sa ilalim ng RCEF program, ginagarantiya ang paglalaan ng P10 bilyong pondo mula sa tariff revenues sa loob ng anim na taon para sa makinarya (50%), rice seed, development, propagation and promotion (30%), pinalawig na rice credit assistance o pautang (10%) at rice extension services (10%).
“The benefits that RCEF has contributed to the country’s rice sector are clear. The rice farmers and other rice industry stakeholders have greatly benefitted in the form of rice farm machineries and equipment, rice seed, credit assistance and direct and unconditional cash aid. Thus, the extension of the period of implementation of RCEF is necessary.” sabi ng Nueva Ecija solon.
“Further, the extension of RCEF will support the needs of the farmers to become more competitive in the global rice industry. The technology and modernization of rice farming will greatly benefit rice farmers to be more competitive with the quality and price of the rice they produce compared with imported rice.” dagdag pa ng kongresista. | ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
