NFA-7 expects additional rice imports by end 2015

CEBU, Philippines – The National Food Authority in Central Visayas (NFA-7) is expecting additional rice imports by year end and early next year as one of the preparations to counter the possible impact of a developing El Niño on rice production.

NFA-7 regional information officer Mary Agnes Militante said yesterday the agency is expecting to get a total of additional 1 million bags of rice in November and December. About 500,000 bags are to be delivered for each month.

Next year, NFA-7 is also receiving a total of 1.08 million bags from January to March next year. About 360,000 bags are to be delivered for each month.

“We’re getting additional importation because of El Niño,” Militante said in an interview. The imports will be coming from Thailand and Vietnam. She noted it is better to prepare for the looming impact of El Niño.

She said Eastern Visayas (Region 8) would also get 10,000 metric tons (MT) of rice each for November and December and another 40,000 MT for the first three months of 2016. About 15,000 MT of rice are to be delivered in January, 15,000 MT in February and 10,000 MT in March. One MT is equivalent to 20 bags. Per bag contains 50 kilograms of rice.

NFA-7 is the one supplying the rice requirement of Region 8.

The official disclosed NFA-7’s current rice inventory stood at 1.197 million bags, noting that these are more than enough to meet the demand during the Christmas peak season.

“We have enough rice stocks to flood the market,” the NFA official added.

Militante said that in Central Visayas, market participation of government-subsidized rice in September stood at 22%, the highest so far since the start of the year.

In September, NFA announced its plan to import additional 750,000 MT of rice by early next year as the country braces for an El Niño episode that is predicted to be the worst since the 1997-1998 event.

The Interagency Food Security Committee had allowed the NFA to proceed with the importation of 250,000 MT by year end and 500,000 MT by the first quarter of 2016 through state-to-state deals, according to the agency’s earlier statement.

The additional rice imports are part of the state’s contingency supply to prevent the staple’s possible scarcity due to the possible effect of the prolonged dry spell on rice production.

The Philippines remains one of the world’s biggest rice buyers. (FREEMAN)