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During the Sangguniang Panlalawigan inquiry last Thursday, a giant rice miller and trader in Molave admits, “we (businessmen - palay buyers, rice millers and traders) are part to be blamed of the sudden price increase of rice in the market.”
Johnston Yu of Youngs Milling in Molave, observes that this problem emanates from the report of the global shortage of rice, which, according to him is being magnified by the national media when it speculated that by February, this year, the price of rice would be P40 a kilo. “Media is very powerful in influencing the mindset of the people. That speculation sparks businessmen and some households to stock rice resulting to shortage of stocks in the market,” he points out.  Al Gesta in file photo On inciting speculations, the national media have sources, not just fabricating stories, Gesta elaborated. Dr. Erwin Cortez, a rice miller from Aurora town claims to have at least 60 rice retailers (who get stocks directly from him) attributes the shortage of rice supply in the province to outsiders referring to palay buyers coming from Misamis Occidental and Marawi who strike buying palay at a higher price. “Since it is my line of business, I am forced to compete with them.” Yu then invokes observation that Cortez can also be blamed of the high price in rice in the province since he let his “bugaseras” contact farmers at a buying price as high as P19 to P20 thresher wet. Yu reveals while their counterparts in Luzon start lowering their buying price of palay, here in Zamboanga del Sur is doing the opposite.
Nevertheless, “for the price (of rice) to stabilize, the supply should go in a normal scene,” Yu says. He suggests that the Provincial Government and the NFA should sit together to strategize the distribution of NFA rice.How fast price of rice escalates? Department of Trade and Industry provincial office maintains a price trending analysis on selected basic and prime commodities including rice since four months ago. Notably, the price of head rice last December was only P28 and as of April 11 it is already P36. To counterbalance the prevailing market price of rice, Yu highly recommends constant supply of government-subsidized rice of the National Food Authority in the market at P18.25 a kilo to calm down the massive procurement for commercial and household stocks of rice. If majority buy NFA rice, demand for commercial rice becomes low for retailers to stop procuring from the traders. How can the NFA cushion the impact of rice crisis? NFA Manager Harold Ybañez declares starting April 22, they will be selling NFA rice in the different municipalities through their rolling stores. Rice miller at the same time a lady farmer Marianette Marcaban wants SP action on the galloping price of chemical-based fertilizers which is hurting the farmers. Last update : 24-04-2008 12:10
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