THE Federation of Free Farmers (FFF) is alarmed over a drop in palay (unmilled rice) prices at the start of the harvest season amid the impending arrival of cheap imported rice.
The FFF said freshly harvested palay is being bought from farmers in Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Mindoro Occidental, Sultan Kudarat and North Cotabato from P21 to P23 per kilogram (kg) and as low as P16.50/kg in some parts of Nueva Ecija.