DA mulls over rice packaging system

The country’s agriculture chief is looking at the possibility of requiring standard rice packaging in markets as the agency reviews food safety practices in the rice retail industry.

If implemented, rice will no longer be sold in open stalls, a practice that Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol described as “unhygienic.”

“We’re looking at marketing rice in packages of one, two, and five kilos. This is also to ensure that there would be traceability for the protection of consumers,” said Piñol in an interview.

“If you go to public markets anybody can touch the rice … And wouldn’t it be nice when you go to the market and you don’t have to worry if you’re being cheated with the scale since everything is already packaged?” he added.

The secretary said the planned policy would be implemented in phases, and may start after the imposition next week of suggested retail prices of various basic commodities.

While the new policy may entail additional costs to retailers, Piñol said it was a small price to pay in the name of food safety.

Piñol said the policy could be crafted under the Food Safety Law.

The new policy will complement plans to “properly classify” rice varieties.

The thorough review of the rice retail industry comes at a time when the country is set to transition to a “rice tariff regime,” under which the government will remove its import quota on rice and instead slap an additional tariff.

This will open the country to more rice imports and is seen to benefit consumers as retail prices of rice are expected to fall by P4 to P7 a kilo, according to the government’s economic managers.