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NFA debunks misconception on rice

By Celeste Anna Formoso

September 26, 2017, 8:16 pm

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan -- Officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) in Palawan on Tuesday morning answered continuing claims that their rice is of poor quality, yellowish in color, and foul-smelling.

“That perception is what we want to change. Perception game is difficult where those who have not actually tried our rice now is concerned,” Ferlita Ancheta, OIC provincial manager of the NFA in the province, told the local media attending the agency's 45th Founding Anniversary here. 

Although she said that the erroneous perception here may have been caused by what was once a period where there was almost no other rice variety except the NFA’s, the case is no longer the same today.

“That was probably during the RCA (Rice and Corn Administration) time when we have no stocks, and people lined up to buy and were sold what were available or left in stock in the country. There was even a point where rice was mixed with corn,” she said.

She defended that if NFA at that time had no rice to sell, people would have gotten hungry.

“This is the reason why right now we’re asking for the help of the media in dispelling this misconception. What we have is rice that has the same quality as the commercial rice,” Ancheta said.

Showing rice samples, she said it is not true that the rice they sell to retailers are yellowish in color.

“Look at these, they’re not yellowish, and it doesn’t smell,” she said, adding the food administration is continuously addressing the complaints to get Palaweños to trust the NFA rice.

With the NFA’s 45th anniversary theme “Pagkaing Ligtas at Sapat ay Adhikain Nating Lahat,” Ancheta vowed they are only supplying quality rice to retailers for public consumption.

“We mark our milestone today as we celebrate our anniversary. Our theme matches the NFA’s present mandate of food security, and price and supply stabilization. This is not just NFA’s goal, this is all our goal,” she said.

For the next five years, the NFA-Palawan said they will continue to work hard to ensure that the province’s food need is met even if it means they have to streamline their staff. (PNA)

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