The National Rice Farmers' Council, a network of different small rice farmers' organization nationwide demanded government to keep rice off the ASEAN Free Trade Area's (AFTA) liberalization agenda as well as from other bilateral and regional trade agreements. The Rice Council aired this demand in the context of the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Cebu where trade is high on the agenda.

"We source practically all of our rice requirements from countries within ASEAN. If we lift barriers to rice imports from ASEAN members, we will negate months of arduous negotiations and squander a golden opportunity to fully develop the local rice industry under the protection afforded by the QR," Jaime 'Ka Jimmy' Tadeo, spokesperson for the National Rice Farmers' Council explained.

The Philippines has successfully negotiated an extension of the rice QR in the WTO, allowing it to continue protecting the commodity until 2010. The AFTA Common Effective Preferential Tariffs (CEPT) aims to remove barriers to trade among the countries of ASEAN eventually culminating in a common market similar to the European Union.

"The problem with the concept of an ASEAN common market is there is very little complementarity in so far as our agricultural production is concerned. To put it simply, how can we hope to sell our agricultural products to ASEAN countries like Thailand and Vietnam when they produce the same commodities at much lower prices?" asked Tadeo.

The Philippines is currently 9^th in the world in paddy rice production. But, the Rice Council pointed out, the country has remained a net importer of the commodity due to its inability to bring production up to the level of local demand.

"We should follow the example of other ASEAN countries like Vietnam and Thailand where government support for rice allowed them to meet the demands of their population and even become top exporters," said Tadeo.

For inquiries, please contact Ka Jimmy Tadeo at 0915-7020387 or the Rice Council Secretariat c/o Centro Saka Inc. at 928-7464/926-6607.