(Second of two parts)
The clear but unexpected winners from the rice tariffication law have been the market intermediaries—the palay traders and millers, wholesalers, retailers, importers and other middlemen who operate between the farmers and the consumers.
RTL proponents had theorized that the unimpeded entry of cheap imports would bring down retail prices for consumers.Free and open competition among market players would supposedly ensure that consumers would get the best possible price for their rice.
Clearly, this has not happened. Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data show that, while wholesale prices did go down following the enactment of RTL, retail prices did…
Keep on reading: Who benefits from rice imports?