The Department of Agriculture (DA) has called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into social media claims suggesting that at least three farmers in Nueva Ecija took their own lives due to the ongoing slump in palay prices.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. expressed concerns over how some groups are characterizing these “unfortunate incidents.” He pointed out that such claims contradict the official accounts from law enforcement and the DA’s own investigative reports, including statements from the families of the deceased.
In a letter sent to the NBI on Monday, Secretary Tiu Laurel requested a thorough investigation, hoping it would provide the public with the truth behind the allegations. He also emphasized the need for compassion, urging the public to respect the grieving families. “Let us allow these families to grieve in peace. We will provide any assistance necessary,” he said.
Secretary Tiu Laurel highlighted the challenges facing the National Food Authority (NFA), which has been purchasing palay at P18 per kilo for fresh harvests and P24 per kilo for clean, dry grains. However, with a limited budget, the NFA is unable to buy significant volumes from farmers. Moreover, the agency’s regulatory powers have been stripped, hindering its ability to manage rice inventories effectively through regular sales to the public.
“With its limited authority, the NFA cannot intervene in the market effectively, leaving traders room to suppress palay prices,” he explained. “This has led to the current farmgate prices dropping to as low as P14 per kilo.”
The DA chief also pointed out that the decline in local prices is tied to a global market correction. For over two years, global rice prices were at their highest, driven by India’s ban on non-basmati rice exports in August 2023 (it was lifted last September) and increased global demand last year due to anticipated supply shortages caused by the El Niño phenomenon.
Despite these challenges, Secretary Tiu Laurel assured that the government is doing everything possible within legal limits and available resources to protect farmers’ livelihoods, while also balancing the welfare of consumers. He urged lawmakers to pass legislation that would better empower the DA to address issues like this.
“We are doing this with one hand tied behind our back. 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 Secretary Laurel. “The NFA also needs additional resources to buy a larger volume of palay—around 20 percent of the supply—to influence market prices.”
To support local producers, NFA Administrator Larry Lacson encouraged farmers in Regions I, II, and III to sell their harvests directly to the agency, which has raised its buying price to P19 per kilo for fresh palay in those regions.
In accordance with its mandate, the NFA is tasked with maintaining a 15-day buffer stock of rice, equivalent to 555,000 metric tons. To achieve this, the agency will need to procure 880,000 metric tons of palay, with about one-third of that expected to come from the dry season harvest. ###
