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NFA-NegOcc sees increase in palay procurement

By Erwin Nicavera

September 15, 2019, 3:49 pm

<p><strong>PALAY BUYING STATION</strong>. The National Food Authority-Negros Occidental buying station inside its provincial office in Bacolod City is purchasing clean and dry palay from farmers at PHP19 per kilogram. The NFA is expecting an increase in the volume of its palay procurement despite the removal of incentives in its buying price. <em>(PNA Bacolod file photo)</em></p>

PALAY BUYING STATION. The National Food Authority-Negros Occidental buying station inside its provincial office in Bacolod City is purchasing clean and dry palay from farmers at PHP19 per kilogram. The NFA is expecting an increase in the volume of its palay procurement despite the removal of incentives in its buying price. (PNA Bacolod file photo)

BACOLOD CITY -- The National Food Authority (NFA) in Negros Occidental is expecting an increase in the volume of palay procurement despite the removal of incentives in its buying price.

Frisco Canoy, provincial manager of NFA-Negros Occidental, said over the weekend they have actually monitored an increase in the volume of palay sold to the NFA since buying prices of traders started to drop.

As of Friday, the new buying price of palay (unhusked rice) has been pegged at PHP19 per kilogram, specifically for clean and dry stocks.

Canoy said from the previous support price of PHP17 per kilogram, the NFA Council has recommended an additional PHP2, making the current buying price at PHP19 per kilogram.

However, the incentives of up to PHP3.70 per kilogram have already been removed.

“If the average production cost of local rice farmers is PHP12 per kilogram, they can still earn PHP7 per kilogram. With the new buying price, the NFA can cater to more farmers,” he said.

Records showed that since January this year, NFA-Negros Occidental has already purchased about 3,000 sacks of palay from local farmers.

Earlier, the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist (OPA) reported that the average price of palay in the province is PHP13 to PHP14 per kilogram, which is lower than PHP18 to PHP20 per kilogram before the implementation of the rice tariffication law.

Canoy said NFA buying stations in cities of Bacolod, Bago and San Carlos; and Ilog town cater to farmers selling clean and dry palay.

“We continue to urge our farmers to sell their palay to us,” he added.

In another memorandum from the central office, NFA-Negros Occidental has been directed to implement a new selling price of PHP27 per kilogram of NFA rice for local government units (LGUs).

The amount is PHP10 per kilogram lower than the previous selling price of PHP37. (PNA)

 

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