Alcala should run after corn hoarders

May we seek swift action on the rumored corn hoarding, particularly by corn cartels in Isabela and the rest of Luzon, which has driven up corn prices in the county, igniting fears that these could reach P18 per kilo.

In a meeting of Pro-Pork Federations last Nov. 3 at the Club Filipino, Greenhills, it was explained that no less than Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala had confirmed that 90 percent of the corn produce from the last harvest season had been stored in various warehouses even before Typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” hit Luzon and Metro Manila.

In other words, the typhoons did not cause damage to justify an increase in corn prices, much less the need for corn importation. But it may be noted that even as corn prices are going up, the farm-gate price of pork went down from P110 per kilo in January 2001 to P90-P80 per kilo, causing hog-raisers huge losses. Yet the retail price in end-consumer market outlets has not moved from P180 per kilo to P155 per kilo.

Who is benefiting from the typhoons? The corn hoarders!

This is a depressing and very serious development because the worst victims in the industry are lowly workers, when piggery operations suspend or close down due to the unreasonably high cost of feeds, which has become uneconomical, and unaffordable.

—ROMEO F. MONDEJAR,

Samahang Manggagawa,

CVM Farm