Section 2Sec./Art. 2

Declaration of Policy. - It is the policy of the State to promote the productivity of the agriculture sector, protect farmers and fisherfolk from unscrupulous traders and importers, and ensure reasonable and affordable prices of agricultural and fishery products for consumers.

It is the policy of the State to prevent smuggling of agricultural and fishery products, which negatively affects supply, production, and price stability of agricultural products and threatens food security. The State shall also eliminate hoarding, profiteering, and cartel that unduly restrain supply and manipulate prices. These illegal acts likewise deprive the State of much needed taxes and revenues for economic development.

The State shall therefore impose severe sanctions on the nefarious acts of smuggling, hoarding, profiteering, and cartel of agricultural and fishery products as a self-preservation measure to shield itself from the manipulative scheme of economic saboteurs, protect the livelihood of our farmers, plus leakages in tax and duty collections on these products, protect the State from tax evaders and non-payors of duties, and ensure the well-being of agricultural and fishery producers, the welfare of the consumers, and the soundness of the economy.