Agri chief urges House to amend Rice Tariffication Law

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. has urged lawmakers to amend the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), warning that the measure in its current form has failed to protect local farmers and left the rice industry vulnerable to volatile global markets.

In a presentation before the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, chaired by Quezon Rep. Wilfrido Mark Enverga, Tiu-Laurel described the RTL as a “well-meaning policy” that produced unintended consequences, especially for Filipino rice farmers.

“Rice is more than just a staple. It fuels our workforce, sustains our families, and symbolizes food security for over 112 million Filipinos,” he said.

He lamented that the law’s full liberalization of rice imports stripped the National Food Authority (NFA) of its power to regulate supply, stabilize prices, and intervene during crises — leaving farmers at the mercy of market forces. This, he said, has led to unsustainably low farmgate prices, with palay dropping to as low as P8 per kilo last month, well below production costs.

Tiu-Laurel dismissed claims that the government’s ₱20 rice program caused the price drop, calling them “absurd and simply untrue.” He cited NFA data showing palay prices began to rebound after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced a temporary rice import suspension effective September 1.

“That rebound happened even as the P20 program continued. This proves that market control, not subsidies, is the decisive factor,” he stressed.

Calling the RTL itself the core problem, Tiu-Laurel said the law “does not reform the rice industry — it threatens to kill it.” He argued that the NFA, with its logistics network and decades of experience, is best positioned to balance public interest with market dynamics.

“We must regain control of the rice industry. This is an industry too critical to be left entirely to the private sector,” he said, expressing support for House Bill 1, which seeks to revise the RTL and restore the government’s authority to act during supply and price disruptions.