Palace urged to ensure enough rice buffer stocks

MANILA, Philippines - Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap urged yesterday Malacañang to ensure there are enough rice buffer stocks as the country continues to be hit by powerful typhoons that cause severe damage to agricultural crops.

Yap, a former agriculture chief during the Arroyo administration, cited in particular the crucial role of the National Food Authority (NFA) on ensuring stable rice supply.

President Aquino however had the NFA’s budget for 2011 reduced to zero much to the consternation of some sectors and lawmakers.

“The NFA must have enough buffer stocks because of the numerous and often powerful typhoons that hit the country every year,” Yap said.

“It is typhoon and calamities like typhoon ‘Juan’ that NFA has to buffer stock rice. It is never an exact science, that is the reason why we need the buffer stock,” he said.

He said Mr. Aquino must restore the NFA’s budget to allow the agency to help our farmers in times like these and protect them from opportunistic rice traders.

Yap however said he was sure there was enough rice in the NFA before he left in May this year.

NFA chief Angelito Banayo had earlier complained that the agency’s warehouses were “swimming in rice.”