NBI asked to probe alleged farmer suicides

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) asked the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in looking into claims that some farmers in Nueva Ecija took their own lives due to low palay (unmilled rice) prices.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. expressed alarm on how some groups are portraying these incidents. He said that these are contradictory from the DA's investigative reports as well as records from law enforcement and families of farmers.

On Monday, the secretary sent a letter to the NBI, requesting a thorough investigation on the matter to reveal the truth behind the claims. He also requested the public to respect the families in grief.

"Let us allow these families to grieve in peace. We will provide any assistance necessary," he said.

The secretary said that while the National Food Authority (NFA) has been purchasing palay at P18 per kilogram (kg) for fresh palay and P24/kg for clean and dry palay, it is unable to buy significant volumes from farmers due to its limited budget.

With the NFA's regulatory powers stripped, it cannot sell its stocks to the public and effectively manage rice inventories, Tiu Laurel said.

"With its limited authority, the NFA cannot intervene in the market effectively, leaving traders room to suppress palay prices," he said.

"This has led to the current farmgate prices dropping to as low as P14 per kilo."

Tiu Laurel also noted that the decline in local prices is associated with the global market correction. Global prices were previously at their highest for over two years due to India's ban on the exportation of non-basmati rice in August 2023 (lifted in September last year) and an increase in global demand last year as a result of an anticipated supply shortage due to El Niño.

However, the DA chief assured the public that the government is doing everything in its power to protect the livelihood of farmers and the welfare of consumers. He also called on lawmakers to work on legislation that could empower the agency to address issues like this.

"We need some of the NFA's powers back — if not to the agency itself, then to the DA — to better address the challenges we face," said Tiu Laurel.

The secretary also added that the NFA is in need of additional resources to enable it to buy a bigger volume of palay — to around 20 percent of the supply — to enable it to influence market prices.

NFA administrator Larry Lacson also encouraged farmers from Regions 1 (Ilocos), 2 (Cagayan Valley) and 3 (Central Luzon) to directly sell their palay harvests to the agency. The NFA has raised its palay buying price in those regions to P19/kg.

Based on the amended Rice Tariffication Law, the NFA is required to maintain a rice buffer stock equivalent to 15 days of national consumption. This translates to 550,000 metric tons (MT) of rice, which necessitates the agency to procure 880,000 MT of palay. A third of this amount is expected to be sourced from the country's dry season harvest.