NFA says cheap rice back in Sarangani, GenSan markets next week

GENERAL SANTOS CITY--The National Food Authority (NFA) is set to resume by next week the distribution of cheaper rice supplies in various markets here and nearby Sarangani Province.

Dionisio Hectin Jr., NFA Sarangani-General Santos provincial manager, said Monday they expect the delivery of the imported rice stocks allotted by the central office to the area by Thursday.

Hectin said some 10,000 metric tons (MT) or 200,000 bags of rice will be unloaded at the Makar port here. The total allocation already includes the supplies for Region 12 and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Of the total shipment, the official said the city and Sarangani province will get a share of 3,500 MT, which is equivalent to 70,000 bags.

“It will be enough to cover for the area’s rice requirements until October,” he said in a radio interview.

Hectin said they already requested from their central office the allocation of additional supplies out of the coming imported rice shipments in June to further beef up their stocks.

The NFA provincial office had ran out of rice stocks as early as the first week of April, forcing consumers to depend on the more expensive commercial rice.

Commercial rice prices in the local markets currently range from PHP43 to PHP52, depending on the variety.

NFA’s imported rice was previously sold in accredited outlets at PHP27 a kilo.

“The prices of some commercial rice varieties have actually started to go down in anticipation of the entry of NFA rice and we expect them to eventually stabilize,” he said.

To ensure the proper distribution of their rice stocks, Hectin said they will assess the weekly requirements of their outlets, adding they will also conduct regular monitoring and market inspections to prevent possible abuses from retailers.

On March, NFA and the National Bureau of Investigation filed multiple charges against a retailer in this city for allegedly repacking NFA rice stocks into commercial rice. (PNA)