Solon wants to extend the Agricultural

Competitiveness Enhancement Fund

A lawmaker has filed a bill extending the implementation of the Agricultural Competitiveness
Enhancement Fund (ACEF) or Republic Act 99! up to "#"$%
Rep% &icanor '% (riones ()art* +ist, A-A)), author of .ouse (ill $#/$, said there is an
urgent need to extend the life of ACEF, which will end in "#0$%
(riones said the fund would be a great help to the farmers with regard to post1harvest services
and facilities%
2he bill seeks to amend ACEF and the 2ariffication of Agricultural )roducts or RA 99!%
32he bill aims to support the farmers b* removing the credit as one of the means of
supporting them% 4 believe that if the government trul* desires to uplift the lives of the farmers, credit
must be replaced b* grants,5 (riones said%
6nder the bill, onl* 7ualified farmers could avail of the grant for the post1harvest facilities
and e7uipment%
2he ACEF fund shall consist of all duties collected from the importation of agricultural
products under the 'inimum Access 8olume ('A8) mechanism, including unused balances and
collections from repa*ments of loan beneficiaries including interest%
2he fund shall be automaticall* credited to 9pecial Account 0:; in the -eneral Fund of the
&ational 2reasur* and fund releases shall not be sub<ect to an* ceiling b* the =epartment of (udget
and 'anagement (=(')%
2he fund shall continue up to "#"$, after which the collection of duties from the 'A8
mechanism and the setting aside of the amount collected for the purpose shall be terminated but the
remaining balances at the date of expiration shall continue to be used for its purpose and not reverted
to the -eneral Fund%
Congress shall set aside a fund for the protection of farmers against unfair trade practices such
as smuggling, dumping of agricultural products or other similar acts of unfair trade practices%
2he fund shall also be used for the increased productivit* of farmers b* providing the
necessar* support services such as post1harvest e7uipment and facilities, research and development,
other marketing structures, provision of market information, retraining, extension services, micro,
small and medium scale enterprises ('9'9E) in agriculture, fisheries and related courses%
+ikewise, the fund shall be utili>ed for agriculture and fisher* cooperatives, corporations and
other entrepreneurs engaged in economic enterprises related to agriculture and fisheries and
assistance and support to agricultural activities, (;#) jc
NR # 3630
OCT. 25, 2014