NFA exceeds palay procurement target

MANILA, Philippines - The National Food Authority (NFA)  has bought more than two million bags of palay in the first quarter harvest through massive procurement operations, surpass only  its palay procurement targets for the period.

The NFA bought  a total of 2,244,142 bags or 38.22 percent more than its target of 1,695,900 bags for the January to March 2013 harvest.

For the month of January alone, the grains agency bought a total of 591,575 bags or a 114.09-percent accomplishment of its 518,500 bags target for the month.

For February, the NFA bought 683,219 bags or 139.92 percent of  the 488,300 bags target.

Last month, the agency registered the biggest procurement for the quarter, buying a total of 1,069,348 bags or 155.18 percent of the targeted 689,100 bags.

The NFA’s palay procurement from January to March averaged at 56,281 bags daily.

NFA administrator Orlan A. Calayag credited the high procurement volumes to the innovative methods employed by the agency’s field offices and the dedication of its personnel to support the agriculture department’s Food Staples Sufficiency program (FSSP) aimed at attaining rice self-sufficiency for the country.

“This is a clear indicator that we are on our way to self-sufficiency and that our farmers have given their renewed trust in the government and the NFA and support our initiatives to wean the country away from costly rice importations that are detrimental to their own plight,” Calayag said.

In previous years, the NFA’s actual procurement have not even reached 50 percent of its monthly or annual targets.

 At present, the NFA’s total inventory stands at 11,685,838 bags or 584,292 metric tons in total rice equivalent, including local rice stocks of 3,301,408 bags and imported rice totaling 2,717,006.

Calayag said the NFA’s buffer stock is at a very safe level, allowing the agency to respond to calamities and emergencies such as the recent devastation from Typhoon Pablo and the exodus of Filipino workers and migrants from Sabah to Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (BASULTA).

With enough funds, Calayag is optimistic the NFA would continue to exceed its procurement targets for the rest of the year. The agency operates a total of 435 buying stations and mobile procurement teams nationwide.

Meanwhile, rice prices remained stable during the first quarter, averaging at P29.23 per kilogram (wholesale) and P31.02/kg (retail) for regular milled rice (RMR); P32.34/kg and P34.40/kg for well milled rice (WMR); P36.74/kg and P38.88/kg for premium rice; and P40.93 and P44.22/kg for the fancy varieties.

There are 13,580 active market outlets for NFA rice nationwide.