President Marcos Issues Strong Warning on Palay Price Manipulation
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivered a firm message on Monday against those who manipulate the price of palay or deceive farmers. He warned that the government will not hesitate to take action and pursue offenders. This declaration came during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), where he vowed to expand the P20 per kilo rice program nationwide.
“And because we are allocating 113 billion pesos to strengthen the programs of the Department of Agriculture (DA), we will launch this nationwide through hundreds of KADIWA stores and centers in various local governments,” Marcos said in Filipino.
“I am warning traders who attempt to manipulate the prices of palay (unmilled rice) or rice, or deceive farmers. We will go after you, because we consider what you are doing as economic sabotage,” he added.
Expanding Affordable Rice Program Nationwide
The president reaffirmed the government’s commitment to make affordable rice accessible to all Filipinos through the extensive rollout of the P20/kilo rice program. This initiative aims to help farmers and consumers by stabilizing rice prices and preventing exploitative practices by traders.
Local leaders noted that this nationwide expansion will leverage the Department of Agriculture’s strengthened budget and the network of KADIWA centers, ensuring wider reach and better support for the agricultural sector.
Boosting Local Pork Production to Tackle Price Hikes
Besides the rice program, President Marcos highlighted efforts to address the high cost of pork by boosting local production. The government is distributing piglets and sows to farmers and constructing biosecured facilities to protect livestock.
“To further lower the price of meat, we have begun vaccinating against ASF [African Swine Fever], and we will expand the vaccination to cover all,” the president said.
These measures aim to combat African Swine Fever, a major factor in pork price surges, and help stabilize meat prices for Filipino consumers.
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