Palay farmers push for P20/kg price floor amid rising costs

Farmer groups, including Nagkakaisang Magsasakang Novo Ecijano (NAMANE), Amihan, and Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), are advocating for a P20 per kilogram floor price for palay, citing current prices as low as P8-P11 per kilo.

They argue that the government's proposed P17-P19 per kilo floor price is insufficient due to significantly increased farming costs.

NAMANE Spokesperson Crisostomo Marzan stated that expenses for cultivation, particularly for fertilizers, have nearly tripled since 2023-2024, reaching approximately P70,000 per hectare.

The farmers expressed their support for repealing the Rice Tariffication Law, which they believe has negatively impacted palay prices.

These groups have gathered nearly 15,000 signatures for a petition to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to implement their proposed floor price.

They highlighted the National Food Authority's (NFA) limited purchasing capacity due to storage and budget constraints, despite its stated buying prices of P23-P30 per kilo for dry palay and P17-P23 for wet palay.

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