PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., said the government expects to scale down subsidies for its flagship rice program as improved domestic production is seen on the back of ongoing agricultural reforms.
鈥淲e got to a point where we can say, 鈥榃e can afford this. We can afford the subsidy,鈥欌 Mr. Marcos said in Filipino, in a video blog posted on his social media pages on Wednesday night.
鈥淎nd as subsidy 鈥 as the subsidy becomes less and less, the coverage of the P20-per-kilo rice will expand,鈥 he added, noting the government will target more low-income consumers.
Since taking office, the Marcos administration has sought to boost farm output by lowering production costs, supplying machinery, and cracking down on smuggling and hoarding. Distribution of land to farmers has also been accelerated under the agrarian reform initiative.
The chief executive credited these efforts with helping the country achieve harvests in recent planting seasons.
鈥淚n the past three years, we鈥檝e laid the groundwork. Now, we have the capacity.鈥 鈥 Chloe Mari A. Hufana
