House minority doubts country would attain rice self-sufficiency in 2014

In a press briefing, House Minority Leader, Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said the administration should stop taking the people for a ride when it comes to attaining self-sufficiency in rice when all other experts have been saying otherwise. 鈥淲hat is surprising though is the declaration of presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda that this year will be the last year that the government will be importing rice, promising a rice self-sufficient Philippines by 2014,鈥� said Suarez. 鈥淚f you remember this was the same tag line used by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Acala, only he promised it to happen this year.鈥� 鈥淭his notion of rice self-sufficiency is certainly worth pursuing, but the Filipino people must not be taken for a ride by providing them with misplaced optimism. We don鈥檛 understand why Malaca帽ang would continue mouthing this mantra of rice self-sufficiency when not a few experts have already been contending the opposite,鈥� Suarez stressed. The Quezon solon said that even economist Solita Monsod bared there is absolutuely no chance of achieving rice sufficiency this year. 鈥淚f they just do their math right, they will find that there is not a snowball鈥檚 chance in hell of attaining rice self-sufficiency (zero imports) by 2013,鈥� Suarez said quoting Monsod. Suarez added that another expert on the subject, Lourdes Adriano of the rural development and regional sustainability department of the Asian Development Bank made a similar conclusion saying that nothing on the ground indicates that the country is anywhere near attaining the self-sufficiency. 鈥淗er exact words were: 鈥業t is not possible to attain rice self-sufficiency next year, not even in the medium term. Not in your or my lifetime,鈥欌�� Suarez said.