Manila, Oct. 15 -- The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Food and Agrarian Reform is eyeing an overhaul of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) and the restoration of the National Food Authority's (NFA) powers to stabilize prices and protect farmers, citing the law's adverse effects on the agricultural sector.

Committee chair Senator Francis Pangilinan, during Wednesday's hearing, expressed alarm over the steep drop of up to PHP8 per kg. in the farmgate price of palay amid the continued influx of imported rice in the market.

"Kung patakaran at polisiya ang lupang tatamnan ng sektor ng agrikultura, malinaw na lason at hindi pataba ang naging epekto ng Rice Tariffication Law (If the agricultural sector's land is a policy, it is clear that the ...