DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — The National Food Authority (NFA) in Negros Oriental yesterday assured that there is still enough supply of rice in the province and that recent price hikes have nothing to do with rice shortage.
A total of 1,250 bags of NFA rice are still available among retailers in Negros Oriental, while an additional 30,000 bags is expected to arrive by October, Cheryl Echiverri, NFA provincial operations officer, told The Freeman.
Echiverri made this statement after recent reports said that many retailers in Metro Manila and Luzon have increased their prices by up to P4 per kilo in an attempt to create an artificial rice shortage.
"So far, there are no retailers here in Negros Oriental that we have caught hoarding," she said.
Echiverri said rice price hikes are normal, and the usual reason why retailers increase prices is the rise of transportation costs. "And right now palay is off-season and corn is not; that's why corn has lower prices these days," she said.
The NFA expected prices of rice to lower by October, since that would be the period of harvest for the commodity, Echiverri said. — (FREEMAN)