The previous week’s column (01 July 2018) dealt with decoupled payments as safety nets for rice farmers as an appropriate and equitable response to the imminent lifting of the quantitative restrictions (QR) in the importation of rice and its replacement with tariffs. This is part of our commitment to the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA) as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
The previous week’s column (01 July 2018) dealt with decoupled payments as safety nets for rice farmers as an appropriate and equitable response to the imminent lifting of the quantitative restrictions (QR) in the importation of rice and its replacement with tariffs. This is part of our commitment to the Uruguay Round Agreement on Agriculture (URAA) as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).
The lifting of quantitative restrictions will open up our domestic rice trade to the entry of cheap rice from Thailand, Vietnam and other sources. As a result, the retail price of rice will go down to the benefit of consumers. But will depress the farm gate of palay (unmilled rice) to the detriment of our already poor rice farmers who will become poorer.
Hence the need for safety nets to allow rice farmers time to adjust to the new price regime, either to raise their productivity to compete with imports, or to shift to other commodities and livelihoods where they can earn more.
See full article at Manila Bulletin
