The Rice Tariffication Law passed earlier this year has come under fire yet again. The goal for he RTL was to lower the cost of rice by introducing other competitors to the market. This was a direct response to last years call for government action to address the high prices of rice. So what's the solution, people?
It seems that supporting the RTL means lower prices of rice across the board while making our local rice farmers' lives more difficult. While junking it would raise the price of rice across the board while making the farmer's lives better as they'd earn more. There seems to be a stalemate of sorts unless you consider other options.
The internet activists seem to think that being a net importer of rice is a bad thing. For an agricultural country, it surely is ironic, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. Our country is a net exporter of so many other products that only we can produce. Why are we forcing this idea that the rice industry here has to be a lucrative one? It is not! The sooner we all can accept that, the better for everyone.
So what's the solution? Rice farmers now, should try to venture out to other crops. Rice isn't the only thing that needs planting! I will admit however that this is too simplistic to be a probable solution as rice paddies are generally not suitable for many other crops. Taro, however, can also be explored as an option. Other crops can also be looked into during the dry seasons when rice typically can't grow.
But enough of that. I'm tired of internet activists saying that we must junk the RTL while not giving any solution as to how to maintain the low price of food that we enjoy now that we didn't enjoy last year. Until a reasonable solution to both problems can be seen in sight, I cannot support the junking of the RTL. Too much is at stake and too many will suffer if it is junked.
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