Is there really a rice shortage? What really went wrong with our food supply?

It’s been weeks already since the government announced that there is a ‘looming rice crisis’ and there is a need for us to import more rice stocks from other countries like Vietnam. Agriculture chief Arthur Yap blamed massive land conversion as one of the causes of the shortage of food supply. And who’s fault is that? Isn’t it the fault of the government?

It’s the government that allowed the conversion of thousands of hectares of agricultural lands into plantations, golf courses and for other industrial use. Just last year, the government has inked an agreement with China, which opened the country’s agricultural land for biofuel plantations.

Read Ibon report here.

Investments may not be bad as long as it would not sacrifice the basic needs of the people. Like in the case of biofuels, it’s also a threat food security. Opening of more biofuel plantations could lead to hunger as many agricultural lands and forests are being cleared to pave way for the biofuel plantations.

Is the government really sincere in resolving the food security problem of our country? Personally, I believe there would have been no ‘rice shortages’ had the government poured more support to the agriculture sector.

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