NFA rice rollout in Metro Manila begins today

MANILA, Philippines — The National Food Authority will start today the rollout of NFA rice to local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila, according to the Department of Agriculture (DA).

“The first release of NFA rice to LGUs will be done through the Food Terminal Inc.,” Agriculture Assistant Secretary and spokesman Arnel de Mesa said.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has issued a maximum suggested retail price (SRP) amid high rice prices despite a 20-percent tariff cut.

A food security emergency has also been declared.

Meanwhile, watchdog group Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo has questioned the NFA’s failure to dispose of its stocks amid reports that some palay stocks in an Occidental Mindoro warehouse were stored for two years.

Pork max SRP

Meanwhile, the DA and stakeholders yesterday agreed that no pork max SRP will be imposed in the next two weeks.

“Each sector agreed to first study the cost structure, starting from the importers, traders, retailers and up to the biyaheros so that we can determine how we can bring down the retail price of pork,” De Mesa said.

At the consultation presided over by Tiu Laurel, De Mesa said it was determined that retailers did not cause high pork retail prices.

Studying the cost structure is necessary to determine the cause of the problem and the ideal pork retail price, farmers’ group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura executive director Jayson Cainglet said.

Zero budget

No funding has been allocated this year for the rice contract farming program of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA), according to Sen. Imee Marcos.

The program enabled the NIA to sell rice at P29 per kilo, Marcos said on Monday at a press conference in this city with Gov. Daniel Fernando and Vice Gov. Alex Castro.

Marcos said she could not understand why no funding was allotted.

“Subsidies to farmers reach maybe about P50,000 per hectare. Perhaps the budget could not handle it or there were implementation issues,” said Federation of Free Farmers national manager Raul Montemayor.

Under the program, P50,000 worth of assistance will be given to rice contract growers for land preparation and capital input, such as seeds, herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers, NIA Bulacan engineering and operations division manager Christian Manalo said earlier.

NIA Central Luzon director Josephine Salazar has confirmed that the funding stopped. — Ramon Efren Lazaro