NFA Eastern Visayas allots PHP4.6-M to buy local rice

PALO, Leyte, April 19 (PNA) --The National Food Authority (NFA) has set aside PHP4.6 million to buy local palay (unhusked rice) from farmers in Eastern Visayas this summer.

NFA Regional Information Officer Agnes Militante said mobile buying stations had been reactivated to augment the operations of permanent buying stations and warehouses in six provinces.

“As of April 18, we only bought 419 sacks of palay, but we are optimistic to procure more in the next few weeks since the harvest season just started,” the official said on Wednesday.

The grains agency had set a procurement goal of 42,000 bags for the entire year with nearly half of the volume is scheduled for buying this summer.

The NFA’s buying price for clean and dry palay is PHP17 per kilogram, inclusive of drying, transport, and cooperative development incentives. To include other incentives, the price could go up to PHP18 per kilogram.

“The PHP4.6 million cereal procurement fund is ready if in case more rice farmers would sell more produce to the government. The directive to us is to go on aggressive procurement,” she added.

Despite availability of funds, the NFA official is pessimistic of hitting the target, citing procurement performance in the past years.

Many farmers, according to Militante are indebted to private traders, putting them more pressures to sell their goods to lenders.

Convenience is another factor considering that under the NFA policy, farmers have to bring their palay to buying stations and use passbooks.

In preparation for harvest months, the NFA has notified local agriculture offices to help them in informing farmers about the national government’s procurement initiative.

NFA buying stations are located in Tacloban City, Alangalang, Baybay, Hilongos and Ormoc City in Leyte; Maasin and Saint Bernard in Southern Leyte; Naval in Biliran; Calbayog City and Catbalogan in Samar; Catubig, Rawis, Bobon, and Victoria in Northern Samar; Oras, Borongan, and Guiuan in Eastern Samar.

Meanwhile, the NFA reported its warehouses have stocks of 545,334 bags of rice as of this week, enough for staple need of the region.

“We have to make sure we have sufficient stocks for emergencies. During lean months, we have to bring more supply to the market to stabilize the price,” Militante told PNA.

Based on average daily sales of 1,261 bags, the current stocks could last up to 433 days. The food agency sells milled rice at PHP17 and PHP32 per kilogram. (PNA)

SARWELL Q. MENIANO