NFA test-milling palay stock with private millers

MALOLOS, Philippines — The office of the National Food Authority (NFA) in Bulacan is test-milling its palay stock with private rice millers.

Rhona Talens, NFA-Bulacan officer-in-charge, told The STAR yesterday that the test-milling is being conducted with private millers who expressed interest in milling palay procured during the main cropping season.

The NFA will use rice by-products to pay for the services rendered by private millers as provided under the “payment-in-kind scheme” agreed between the two parties.

Earlier, Talens confirmed the NFA has surpassed its palay procurement target of 103,000 bags for the months of January to June.

She said the agency is still procuring palay in Bulacan, provided the quality of the grains meets the standards set by the NFA.

Talens said the agency is also procuring palay that is not covered under the palay assistance to legislators and local government units (PALLGU) program.

The buying price is at P27 per kilo for clean and dry palay, and P21 for fresh or newly harvested.

Palay covered under the PALLGU program are bought at P28 per kilo for clean and dry and P22 for freshly harvested, Talens said.