NFA: 11.52-M bags of palay bought as of mid-November
Credit to Author: Eireene Jairee Gomez| Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 16:13:12 +0000
STATE-RUN National Food Authority (NFA) said on Friday it bought 11.52 million bags of palay (unmilled rice) from local farmers as of November 20, showing its sincerity to follow by its mandate under the government’s rice tariffication program.
From October to November, the grains agency bought 4.67 million bags of palay, higher than the 1.15 million bags procured from October to December last year.
The bulk of these were secured from Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Cagayan Valley, the NFA said in a statement.
“We try to accommodate all farmers who sell their harvest. We have 642 buying stations, which are strategically located across the country to accept their produce,” NFA Administrator Judy Carol Dansal said.
She also said the NFA remained optimistic that it would be able to achieve its target of 14.46 million bags before the main harvest ended this year.
“As of November 20, we have already achieved 80 percent of our target. The main crop traditionally yields 70 percent of the total annual production. Normally, we buy more from farmers during the last quarter of the year. We are hopeful, our target will be attainable,” she said.
Currently, the NFA buys palay at an average procurement rate of 125,754 bags per day. It also buys clean and dry palay at P19.00 per kilogram (kg) with incentives up to P0.70/kg.
The NFA has started buying wet palay with up to 30-percent moisture content, as well as palay with lower classification, based on the agency’s equivalent net weight table. Originally, the NFA buys local palay that meet the 14-percent moisture content requirement.
Under the Rice Tariffication Law, the NFA will no longer be allowed to import rice, as its role was confined to buffer-stock management for emergencies and calamities.
The NFA is also mandated to maintain a 15-day rice reserve at any given time and a 30-day buffer stock during the lean season.