Cynthia Villar seeks creation of anti-agri smuggling task force following probe into high onion prices

Senator Cynthia Villar on Tuesday highlighted the need for a court and a task force that will handle agricultural smuggling cases.

The lawmaker stressed this as she reported out Committee Report No. 25, which was based on the Senate committee on agriculture, food, and agrarian reform’s investigation into the soaring prices of onions in the latter part of 2022.

"It is high time that we have an Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Task Force and Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Court," Villar said in her sponsorship speech on Committee Report No. 25.

"With these in place, we will have a watchdog in the agricultural sector to ensure that whoever manipulates the price of agricultural commodities to the detriment of small farmers and consumers will be brought to justice accordingly. Gone are the days when we [were] always at the mercy of these cartels," she added.

Villar filed Senate Bill 1963, or the proposed Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Courts Act, as a result of the investigation.

She also filed Senate Bill 1962, which seeks to amend the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016. A similar bill was filed by Senator JV Ejercito.

The committee also recommended the establishment of post-harvest services for onion farmers, like cold storage facilities, and providing the same either through farmer cooperatives or government facilities.

These post-harvest facilities should be strategically located to ensure accessibility to farmers at a lower cost.

Meanwhile, the Senate panel said importation, if necessary, must be "logically scheduled" so it will not impede and completely compete with local production and harvest.

"The import volume must be correctly established, and such must be only for purposes of providing the needed supply in the market," the committee recommended. —VBL, GMA Integrated News