Several
rice farmers' organizations today questioned the composition of the Eminent Persons
Group set up by Malacaņang to advise the President on rice policy.
"Except
for a few, these are the very same people who have led us to this predicament.
It is no surprise that one of their fist recommendations to the president is to
raise the hybrid rice subsidy. It was upon the advice of some of them that
government wasted billions in this failed program despite its minimal
contribution to rice production," Ka Jimmy Tadeo of the National Rice Farmers
Council (NRFC) said.
The
NRFC said many of the persons appointed to the Eminent Persons Group had no
right to be there considering they contributed to the current rice problem when
they practically abandoned the country's quest for rice self-sufficiency.
"These 'eminent persons' promoted a strategy of relying on the international
market for our rice needs. We are now bound to suffer because of this erroneous
policy. The people who promoted this policy should be held to account for their
mistake, " said Ka Jimmy Tadeo of the NRFC.
Meanwhile,
Jun Adorable, Chairman of Forum for Organic Rice Farming in Mindanao (FORFARM),
said that, "We are dismayed to learn that Mrs. Arroyo appointed the same people
to the Eminent Persons Group who led us down the path to disaster as advisers
on the issue of the rice crisis. The 1995 rice crisis even occurred during the
watch of one agriculture secretary who now sits in this eminent persons group.
Another served as agriculture undersecretary under several presidents. These
so called 'eminent people' should be apologizing to the people for their
mistakes."
Adorable
added that the farmers have made many of common-sense proposals in the past.
But these were often ignored by the very same people now sitting as the
President's advisers. We even went all the way to Manila to participate in the
National Rice Summit 2003, which proposed among others, the promotion of
organic farming, provision of incentives for rice farmers, and the adoption of
rice self-sufficiency as the framework for a rice master plan. Adorable
recalled, "If government had listened to us then, this crisis could have been
averted."
"With
the current composition of the eminent persons group, we can expect nothing
less than a continuation of the policies that have failed the rice farmers and
the country. We cannot solve this problem by listening to the people who gave
bad advice. What we need is an overhaul of our entire rice strategy, only a
paradigm shift can ensure our long-term food security," Tadeo said.
For more inquiries you may call the Rice Council Secretariat c/o Centro Saka Inc. at 9287464/9266607 or visit our website: www.centrosaka.org. For
reference please call, Ka Jimmy Tadeo: 0915-7020387/4420217 and Jun Adorable:
09195112548
