Imported rice shipment arrives in Zamboanga

ZAMBOANGA CITY – A total of 12,600 metric tons or 252,000 bags of Vietnam rice recently arrived in this city on board MV MY Hung and MV Binh Phuoc.

National Food Authority (NFA) Zamboanga City regional director Ernesto M. Macasinag said the newly arrived imported rice is intended for supply stabilization and food security of Region IX.

"Part of the volume will be dispersed to the NFA provincial offices in the region based on our marketing plan," Macasinag said.

This year, the NFA offices in Zamboanga del Sur, Sibugay and Zambo Norte will be receiving a total of 510,000 bags while three other offices under the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have been allocated a total of 200,000 bags.

Rice dispersals to the said provinces have been scheduled starting this month.

Macasinag said the Vietnam rice will be sold through the agency’s licensed and accredited outlets strategically located inside and outside markets all over the region at P16 per kilogram for regular-milled rice (RMR) and P18 per kilogram for well-milled rice (WMR).

Meanwhile, the NFA director urged the public to immediately report to their office any rice trading irregularities committed by NFA accredited and licensed operators in their area.

He said unscrupulous retailers who violated the rice trading rules and regulations under the Philippine Grains Standardization Program (PGSP) will be subjected to a criminal and/or administrative investigation. "Violators shall be blacklisted from the list of the agency’s licensed and accredited businessmen," he added.