President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered suspension of rice importation to alleviate the plight of local farmers who have been complaining of very low prices of palay.

"Yes. Because it is harvest time," Duterte told reporters late Tuesday night when asked if he ordered Agriculture Secretary William Dar to suspend rice importation.

He acknowledged that local farmers have to compete with the rice imports.

But Duterte also justified that the government has to import rice to ensure that there would be supply.

He said he has to balance the need of farmers or producers and the consumers.

"So if you were on my shoes, you choose: Let the people get hungry or let the farmers get angry?" he said.

But since it is harvest time now, Duterte ordered the suspension of the rice importation.

In order to help farmers, Duterte said he would ask DA and Congress to appropriate money to buy all the rice of local farmers.

With the rice tariffication law, which took effect this year, there has been influx of cheap imported rice, forcing farmers to sell their produce to traders at much lower prices.

Duterte did not mention until when his order for the suspension of rice importation would take place. Celerina Monte/DMS