CEBU, Philippines - Contrary to national reports that the Palace has imposed a temporary P2 increase in rice prices, National Food Authority-7 said the price of NFA rice is still stable for now.
“There’s an increase in some commercial rice, but as to NFA rice it remains the same,†said Lucy Rosales, information officer of NFA-7.
It was earlier reported that Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said the Department of Agriculture and the National Food Authority attributed the hike in rice prices to “market forces†or the law of supply and demand.
Coloma also said that the prices will stabilize soon.
For NFA-7, Rosales said that the agency has not received directives from the central office to increase the price of NFA rice.
She said that NFA rice remains selling at P27 per kilo despite the months being lean. Lean months means off-harvest season.
“Ang ato lang kay not to be alarmed kay naa man ta’y sufficient and more than enough supply of NFA rice,†she said.
The agency said that for the onset of El Niño, there is no shortage of NFA rice.
Rosales said 700,000 bags of rice from Vietnam allocated for Central Visayas are expected to arrive before the year ends. Last June 8, 120,000 bags of rice arrived in the first delivery from Vietnam.
As of now, she said that the region has a million bags of NFA rice as a buffer stock.
Meanwhile, Rosales also said that there are 600 accredited retailers In Cebu.
“It doesn’t mean that with the 600 accredited retailers they are all active. Basta accredited sila, kay naa man pud uban nga nag-close,†she said.
She said that NFA-7 is still accepting applicants for rice retailers.
Rosales said that the agency limits the allocation of the retailers to avoid the practice of mixing of NFA rice with commercial rice.
“Maskin kami, dili mi maka-identify sa na-mix nga NFA sa commercial rice because ang NFA rice pareha ang quality sa commercial,†she said.
She said that NFA-7 urged retailers to be honest and to use price tags in selling rice. (FREEMAN)