President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the government is studying the implementation of a “floor price” for rice to ensure that farmers earn enough and are prepared for the next planting season.

In a dialogue with farmers during his visit at the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse in San Ildefonso, Bulacan, Marcos emphasized the need to strike a balance between keeping rice affordable for consumers and making sure that farmers are not at a disadvantage when selling their produce.

He explained that the proposed measure is patterned after the floor pricing system for tobacco in his home province of Ilocos Norte.

“Pinag-aaralan namin, ginagaya namin sa tobacco doon sa amin sa Ilocos, may floor price. So never bababa doon sa floor price (We’re studying it. We’re copying what we do with tobacco in Ilocos, which has a floor price. So the price never drops below that),” Marcos said.

“So, pinag-aaralan naming magkaroon ng floor price para wala namang malugi (We’re looking into having a similar floor price so that no one ends up at a loss).”

Marcos noted that unstable market prices hinder planning and long-term sustainability for both farmers and the government.

“Kapag masyadong malikot ang presyo, hindi tayo makapagplano ng maganda. Siguro kayo ganun din ang experience niyo (When prices fluctuate too much, we can’t make good plans. I’m sure you’ve had the same experience),” he told the farmers.

“Binabalanse talaga namin – ‘yung presyo para sa mga namimili at saka yung buying price naman namin galing sa mga farmers para maganda ang sitwasyon (We’re really trying to strike a balance – the price for consumers and the price we buy from the farmers, so the situation stays good).”

He also committed to increasing government support through additional agricultural machinery and logistics to reduce production losses and improve post-harvest operations.

The development comes as the government continues to pilot its PHP20 per kg. rice program, initially targeting vulnerable households. (PNA)