Crop insurance hike sought in wake of storm ruin

An official of the militant peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) on Wednesday warned the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Food Authority (NFA) against exploiting the tragedy in typhoon-ravaged areas in Central Luzon to hide the true rice situation in the country.The statement was made as a bill was filed at the House seeking to increase government investment in crop insurance to "safeguard the interests of local farmers.” The bill, filed by the party-list group Coop Natcco, would amend the law that created the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (Acef) so that 10 percent of funds that go to Acef could be allotted for the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. (PCIC). In the statement, Bravo said the government has not fulfilled its obligations to the agricultural insurance program that would have served as a cushion for farmers in times of calamities. According to the government think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), P12-billion worth of rice crops has been lost from 1995 to 2004. PIDS estimates that 4.1 million hectares of rice and corn fields are hit by typhoons on a yearly basis. "Agriculture is very vulnerable to the unpredictability of nature particularly here in the Philippines,” said Bravo in the statement. "The capital contribution from the government came in very small amounts,” said the statement. "The total premium arrears of government have been growing,” it added.