ROSALES, Pangasinan Agricultural groups have condemned the announcement of National Economic and Development Authority director-general Arsenio Balisacan that the agency was proposing the importation of an additional 1 million metric tons of rice for the first quarter 2016.
Samahang Industriya sa Agrikultura chairman and Abono Party-list chairman Rosendo So said they would instead prefer an increased budget for crop insurance to broaden the scope of the farmers whose crops were affected by natural calamities.
The additional funds would also help in the irrigation of crop fields to sustain the production of rice farmers.
