FEB.

15, 2014

NR # 3378B

Solon urges government to remove Philippine agriculture from WTO

A lawmaker today urged the government to remove the Philippine agriculture from the Agreement on Agriculture of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Rep. ernando !icap (Partyli"t# Anakpawi")# author of !ou"e Re"olution $%&# "aid "ince the Philippine"' entry to the WTO# "everal anti(pea"ant law" were pa""ed )y the )ody# mo"t of which are within the framework of the World *ank market(a""i"ted land reform and free market glo)alization. +,ocal law" were al"o amended to make them fully(compliant with the agreement" and rule" of the -eneral Agreement" on Tariff" and Trade (WTO(-ATT)#. !icap "aid. According to !icap# the Philippine government'" promotion of agricultural trade li)eralization and entry to the WTO virtually tran"formed the country into a dumping ground of imported agricultural product". The country'" entry to WTO re"ulted in the ma""ive flooding of imported rice in the dome"tic market# !icap declared. +/ince 011$# the Philippine" )ecame a net importer of rice wherein the country imported an annual average of 02.$ percent of the population'" total rice con"umption. The highe"t i" 2%.$ percent in 011%#. !icap "aid. !icap "aid the rice production in the country ha" fallen for three "traight year"# from 03.% million metric ton" in 244% down to 03.& million metric ton" in 2441 and 0$.% million metric ton" in 2404. !icap "aid corn productivity al"o decrea"ed from %% percent in 244$ to 5% percent 2443# adding that the country imported &4&#444 metric ton" of corn. The total vegeta)le import" in all form" ro"e to an average of over 16#444 metric ton" during 011$ to 2444 period# which wa" e7uivalent to 04 percent of the local "upply of vegeta)le" and 00 percent of the total local production. !icap "aid the flooding of imported product" contri)uted to the accumulation of large trade deficit" in agriculture. !icap "ought the immediate action of the !ou"e on hi" re"olution "aying the full integration of Philippine agriculture into the international market "eriou"ly threaten" the livelihood of million" of poor farmer". +8uring the fir"t five year" of implementation of WTO li)eralization# 144#444 9o)" were lo"t in agriculture while in 011%# the "ector lo"t 504#444 9o)"#. he "aid. +The heavy importation of key food commoditie" po"e "eriou" threat" to the country'" food "elf "ufficiency and the increa"ed dependence on heavy "u)"idized import" ha" "eriou"ly eroded the country'" capacity to )ecome "elf("ufficient#. !icap added. (&4) mrs