CITY OF MALOLOS — Amid the implementation of Executive Order no. 39 of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. mandating the rice price ceiling from P41 to P45 per kilogram in the market, local farmers here are now appealing for palay price increase.
Melencio Domingo, president of the farmers’ association in Barangay Santor, said they are in favor of the implementation of the price ceiling as it will increase the farm gate price of palay to P22 per kilo.
If the rice price in the market is P41 to P45 per kilo, the palay price in the farmgate must be P22 per kilo, Domingo explained.
He noted that a high farmgate price of palay will intensify the local rice production, instead of government focusing on rice importation.
“We appeal to the president to also help the farmers and execute an EO that will stipulate the farmgate price to P22 per kilo,” said Domingo.
He said that for several years the farmgate price of palay remains at P17 per kilo, only favoring the traders which he suspects as controlling supply which has resulted to soaring rice prices in the market today.
