NFA awards permits for 190,000-MT rice imports

MANILA, Philippines - The National Food Authority (NFA) has awarded import rights to 19 bidders for 190,000 metric tons (MT) of rice. The bidding was open to both private traders and farmers’ groups.

In a bid notice dated April 18, the NFA said that it has issued the notice of award to 19 bidders to bring in 10,000 MT of rice each.

Bidders granted import rights in Luzon are King Casey Trading, Loui London Trading, St. Andrew’s Field Grains and Cereal Trading, Wish Granted Ent., Montevallo Ent., Formosa MPC (Multi-Purpose Cooperative), Riverview MPC, Ugnayang Magsasaka sa Kaunlaran MPC, GPI San Miguel MPC, St. Dominique Rice and Food Stuff Ent., and Pure Country Trading.

The winning bidders from the Visayas and Mindanao regions are the Chon Buri Trading, Mahindra Rice and Food Trading, Nemic Fusion Rice and Grains Ent., West Point Rice and Cereals Ent., Jaded Ranch Grains and Cereals Trading, Red Mountain Grain and Cereal Dealer, Sitio Muzon Farmers MPC and Sta. Cecilia MPC.

The NFA said that it would collect P1.16 billion in service fees from the winning bidders in exchange for the rights to import rice at zero-tariff.

NFA administrator Angelito Banayo said in a text message yesterday that the rice imports should be in the country on or before July 1.

“All permits should be released by this week. I have signed them,” he said.

The country has set the volume of rice imports for this year at 500,000 MT.

Apart from the import rights for 190,000 MT, which was auctioned to both private traders and farmers’ groups, the NFA also held a bidding for rights to bring in another 190,000 MT of rice for farmers’ groups alone.

The NFA however, has yet to award the import rights for rice to be shipped by farmers’ groups.

The remaining 120,000 MT of the 500,000 MT of rice imports set for this year meanwhile, will be purchased by the NFA under a government-to-government deal.

Banayo said earlier the government is seeking offers from Vietnam and Thailand.

He said the government may also ask to buy rice from Cambodia if a rice supply agreement with that country would be signed.

The country’s rice imports amounted to 860,000 MT last year.