MANILA, Philippines -- Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito on Thursday warned that rising production costs and declining farm-gate prices may push farmers into losses and put the country’s food security at serious risk.
The senator said that while the country is in the midst of state of national energy emergency, the problems hounding the agricultural sector remain.
Ejercito reiterated that farmers remain the backbone of the nation and must not be neglected. "We cannot neglect our farmers."
He cited the sharp drop in farm-gate prices of onions in Nueva Ecija and other producing provinces, even as production costs continue to rise.
The Senate deputy majority leader raised this matter during a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform held in Nueva Ecija.
He said that the situation is no longer a simple issue of supply and demand. “This is no longer just a matter of price fluctuations. This is a failure of the system. This is [government] negligence."
Ejercito also raised concern over the continued influx of imported onions, even during peak harvest season, which he said undermines local producers.
He questioned the government’s importation strategy, warning that poorly timed imports worsen the situation.
Ejercito said the issue "goes beyond market fluctuations and points to structural problems that must be immediately addressed."
