Farmers from far-flung areas have yet to receive gov't cash aid: KMP

Some farmers in far-flung areas have yet to receive cash aid from the Department of Agriculture, as the sector reels from the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 in terms of production, a group claimed Wednesday. 

Danilo Ramos of farmers' group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said millions of farmers have yet to receive cash aid, adding that the amount and the turn-around period has been "slow."

"Bukod po sa napakaliit, kaunting-kaunti, napakabagal na makarating sa mga magsasaka kahit po sinasabing data pero gusto ko pong banggitin na marami pong ulat sa aming provincial chapters eh marami pong hindi nakakatanggap," Ramos told radio DZMM. 

(Aside from the subsidy being small, there are only a few farmers who benefited from it and the turnaround is very slow. Some of our provincial chapters tell us that there are a lot of farmers who have not received subsidy from the government.) 

DA in a press statement dated April 6 said it planned to distribute P5,000 in subsidy under the Financial Subsidy to Rice Farmers (FSRF) for almost 600,000 of rice farmers bearing the brunt of the enhanced community quarantine.

Ramos urged the agriculture department to provide cash aid instead of loans for farmers ailing in the lockdown.

"Baon sa utang ang mga magsasaka," he explained. 

(Farmers are already ailing because of a ton of loans they have to pay.)