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The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) said that indeed there is impending rice and bread price increases but the primary cause of this is the globalization due to the World Trade Organization and the greed of the rice cartels. According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of the group, “the price of rice has risen for four times already this year, but it is ironic that the price of palay (unhusked rice) is nailed at P5-P9 a kilo, in some places it even goes to as low as P4.50 a kilo. This price range has remained the same since 1990. But why is it that the price of rice keeps rising?” “It is not true that trough importation the price of rice will decrease. From its 1990 price it increased in 1994 when our country entered the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the World Trade Organization. In 1994 NFA rice is P8.44, ordinary rice is P8.86 and special rice is P9.50, while now NFA rice is P16, ordinary rice is P17-18 and special rice is P20-28. The average increase is 100-300%,” added the peasant leader. Even if the landed price of imported rice is low (P9.04 a kilo), cartels like the Binondo 7 just doubles the price because they control the pricing. Though now latest NFA data show that the former landed price of imported rice which is P7-P9 a kilo has now increased to P19-20 a kilo, so this would mean an obvious increase. As for his part Carl Anthony Ala, public
information officer of KMP, “Not only rice but the price of bread is also
about to increase bakers say that it is due to the increase on the price
of wheat coming from the US. Now this would mean the already miniscule
pan de sal would get even smaller, from its average weight of 25 grams
a piece, bakers are saying that they would have to make 15-20 gram pan
de sals. If we convert it to price there would a 50% increase in the price
of pan de sal if we want it to stay as it is,”
KMP - 22 September 2004 |
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