By CESAR JOLITO III
The two-month rice importation ban imposed by the national government has yet to make a difference for farmers in Negros Occidental, as the farmgate price of palay continues to hover between P12 and P14 per kilo, barely enough to cover production costs.
Pedro Limpangog, president of the Federation of Irrigators’ Association Central Negros – Bago River Irrigation System Inc., said the buying price is “too low for farmers to gain any profit,” noting that the estimated cost of production already reaches around P12 per kilo.
“Farmers cannot feel the effect of the rice importation ban as of the moment due to the low price,” Limpangog told reporters, urging traders to raise their buying rate within P17 to P20 per kilo to help farmers recover their expenses and sustain operations.
He said that harvesting in southern Negros is ongoing, but most farmers continue to sell their produce to private traders instead of the National Food Authority (NFA) despite the agency’s higher buying price of P23 per kilo.
Limpangog explained that NFA transactions are not as accessible since they require documentary compliance and follow strict procurement schedules.
“Farmers need instant cash for their daily needs, so they prefer private traders even at a lower price,” he said.
While the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) has reported palay buying prices dropping as low as P8 per kilo in Northern Luzon, Limpangog clarified that such prices have not been recorded in Negros Occidental.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel, Jr. announced this week that the government will extend the rice import ban until the end of 2025, with limited importation to resume in January 2026 before reimposing restrictions in February.
Laurel said the move aims to stabilize local supply and protect farmers from further income losses, especially as oversupply and poor grain quality caused by continuous rains have kept domestic palay prices depressed.
Despite the government’s assurance, Limpangog said the situation on the ground underscores the need for better market mechanisms and faster government intervention to ensure that the benefits of policy decisions — like the import ban — are actually felt by small farmers.
“We welcome the import ban, but without fair pricing, our farmers remain at the losing end,” he stressed./CJ, WDJ