NFA RICE. Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel Piñol (3rd from left) and DA-12 Director Mila Casis (3rd from right) show NFA rice available to consumers at Php27 per kilo. (Photo from NFA-North Cotabato)
COTABATO CITY -- An official of the National Food Authority (NFA) in North Cotabato said Wednesday that the province is still awaiting an additional 30,000 bags of rice supply to cater to the increasing number of NFA rice customers.
Teresa Herrera, NFA North Cotabato provincial manager, said they have initially received 10,000 bags of NFA rice imported from Vietnam last month, which formed part of the total 40,000 bags rice allocation for the province.
Herrera said the current supply of NFA rice in the provincial warehouse would only last for six days, specifically, if the NFA dispenses an average of five sacks per day to all NFA accredited rice retailers in the province.
There are at least 100 NFA rice outlets in North Cotabato’s 17 towns and the city of Kidapawan.
Carmelito Bacus, president of the province’s NFA rice retailers’ association, said the supply is not enough because NFA rice demand continues to rise.
A kilo of NFA rice in North Cotabato still sells at PHP27 per kilo in accredited rice outlets compared to commercial rice, which ranges between PHP48 to PHP52 per kilo.
Currently, the NFA in Region 12 is investigating reports that some commercial rice dealers buy NFA rice in volumes and mix it with commercial rice.
Only last week, Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol warned unscrupulous traders who are mixing NFA rice with commercial rice and sell them at higher prices.
“You are under close watch,” he said in a radio interview after he and other DA-12 officials graced the July 8 opening of the DA-Barangay Food Terminal (BFT) in Barangay Dolores, Antipas, North Cotabato.
Accompanying Piñol to the DA-BFT launching event were DA-12 Director Milagros Casis, NFA-12 Assistant Regional Director Nestor Rey Alcoseba, North Cotabato NFA provincial manager Teresa Herrera, and Robelito Campued of NFA-Kidapawan.
Piñol assured North Cotabato residents that President Rodrigo Duterte’s instruction was very clear and that is to make rice affordable to all Filipinos. (PNA)
