Philippine Farmers Reject US "Support in Agriculture"

KMP News Release 25nov01

From: KMP <kmp@quickweb.com.ph>
Date: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 10:04:03 +0800
NEWS RELEASE November 25, 2001
Reference: RAFAEL MARIANO, KMP National Chairperson

The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) today, rejected the $4.6 billion investment package from the United States following President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's 10-day working visit to the US.

The President announced the US Department of Agriculture guarantees $150 million support for the so-called modernization of the agriculture and fisheries sector and another $40 million in food aid next year.

KMP chair Rafael Mariano said "farmers will not accept Ms Macapagal's Balikbayan Box filled with guns and anti-peasant schemes. Only foreign agro-corporations, like the Mindanao-based Del Monte and Dole Philippines, and landlords are the primary beneficiaries of the $150 M worth of equipment for the so-called modernization of the agriculture sector."

Mariano also cited that Dole Philippines is now undergoing expansion of more than 500 hectares of agricultural land in Maramag and Dangcagan, Bukidnon. The lands will be devoted to the planting of bananas for export. Dole's contract also entitles them to lease the farmers' lands for 15 years and a unilateral extension of another 15 years.

"Poor farmers cannot afford the rampant land grabbing and displacements associated with this so-called assistance from the US. Farmers and agricultural workers in export crop plantations will be replaced by high-tech equipments while lands devoted to food production will be converted to the production of crops for export," Mariano added.

"In the Philippines, the area allocated to export crops is increasing rapidly. The area planted to mango almost doubled between 1994 and 1999: from 65,000 hectares to 113,000 hectares. Asparagus is now grown on 1,400 hectares while banana and pineapple cover 370,000 and 41,000 hectares respectively. Consequently, the arable land allotted to staple food production is decreasing," the KMP leader cited.

The peasant group also assailed the $150 million "food aid" under the US Public Law 480 (PL 480) as it will turn the whole country into a dumpsite of US surplus agricultural products.

Mariano also added that "the PL 480 is not limited to rice, it includes the free-entry of surplus corn, wheat, soy beans and the likes from the US."

"The US has been able to discharge their surplus agricultural products through the PL 480 under the guise of 'Food Aid' which is exempted from the Agreement on Agriculture of the World Trade Organization," Mariano said.

"The Macapagal-Arroyo government's lofty claims of land distribution and creating jobs in agriculture is only a smoke-screen - another attempt to blind the Filipino people to its continued servility to the interests of US imperialist globalization and its dogged attempts to fully implement liberalization, deregulation, and privatization in agriculture. While feeding the public sugar-coated promises of opportunity, it is only tightening the nooses around the Filipino people's necks," the peasant leader said. # --

Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)
Peasant Movement of the Philippines
http://www.geocities.com/kmp_ph