Fishers hit Villar over galunggong shortage remark
“She is the committee chair both on agriculture and food, and fisheries in the senate who is supposed to be resolving the instability of agricultural and fishery stocks,” According to the militant fishers group PAMALAKAYA, reacting to the statement of Senator Cynthia Villar in regards to the price increase of galunggong (round scad) in the market.
“We remind Senator Villar that she is duty-bound to ensure that there is stable and affordable supply of agricultural and fishery products in the market. Instead of looking into the alleged shortage of galunggong, and its unreasonable price increase, she chose to issue a comment that we find irresponsible,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said in a statement.
PAMALAKAYA protested the importation of 45, 000 metric tons of galunggong at the Department of Agriculture (DA) last Monday, saying that it would adversely affect the livelihood of small fishers.
The group also asserted that importation would not guarantee that prices in the market would normalize, stating that private traders control and dictate market prices, which are far higher than the farm gate value.
“Our call to cancel the importation order is directed not only to the DA and BFAR, but to every concerned government official, most especially Senator Villar, who is in the right position to investigate and resolve this agricultural crisis,” ended Hicap. ###
