NFA: Rice supply sufficient on lean months

By: Jemin B. Guillermo

ROXAS CITY, Capiz – The National Food Authority (NFA) has assured Capiceños of sufficient rice supply during lean months.

Information Officer Mary Christie Hari-on of NFA Capiz said that sufficient volume of NFA rice is being readied for distribution to their accredited rice retailers for sale to the public until August this year.

“After August 2019, NFA will continue to sell rice in 40 provinces, identified with extreme cases of poverty,” she said.

Hari-on, however, said that Capiz is not included nor classified as among the provinces with extreme case of poverty, hence, NFA rice will no longer be sold here.

She said that government rice is still sold at P27 per kilogram at NFA accredited outlets throughout the province.

The price of NFA rice costs P37 per kilogram when sold to government and other entities such as local government units, Department of Education, Department of Social Welfare and Development, local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Philippine Red Cross, and other private institutions.

With the approval of Republic Act 11203 or an “Act Liberalizing the Import and Export Trading of Rice, Lifting for the Purpose of Quantitative Import Restrictions on Rice and for Other Purposes” last February 14, 2019, NFA will focus mainly on buffer stocking through local palay procurement, she said.

Hari-on said that the rice buffer stock is intended for calamity and emergency purposes only. (PIA-Capiz)