Maintaining low food tariffs is a good call

AS was reported Wednesday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued an Executive Order (EO) 50 maintaining lowered tariff rates for imports of rice, corn and pork meat through the end of 2024. While the decision will certainly be met with opposition from some parts of the agricultural sector, it was a good call. The risks to food supplies and prices from the El Niño-related drought, the persistence of African swine fever (ASF), and other factors are too great to ignore and require a response now rather than later.