PALAY PROCUREMENT. A mobile procurement team of the National Food Authority (NFA) goes around areas in Nueva Ecija to directly procure newly harvested palay from farmers in this undated photo. Under the new price ranges, NFA is paying PHP19 to PHP23 per kilo for dry palay and PHP16 to PHP19 per kilo for wet palay. (Photo courtesy of NFA-Nueva Ecija)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – More farmers and cooperatives in Nueva Ecija prefer to sell their palay harvest to the National Food Authority (NFA) rather than private traders due to the government’s newly imposed buying prices.
Eugenio Balmores, a farmer in Guimba town, Nueva Ecija who is president of La Morito Farmer’s Association, said on Tuesday they gained profit in selling their palay to the NFA which buys at better prices.
Balmores said he is happy with the price adjustment per kilo of palay regardless of whether it is wet or dry.
NFA now pays PHP19 to PHP23 per kilo for buying dry palay and PHP16 to PHP19 per kilo for wet palay.
“Nagpapasalamat po kami kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at sa NFA sa pagbibigay ng karagdagng insentibo. Malaking bagay po ito sa aming mga maliliit na magsasaka (We are thankful to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and to the NFA for providing additional incentive. This is a big matter for small farmers like us),” he said in a video interview.
He likewise thanked the NFA for directly going to their area to procure their palay harvest which gave them savings on transport expenses.
“Nagpapasalamat din kami sa NFA dahil sila mismo ang pumupunta para bilhin ang aming mga palay (We are also thankful to the NFA because they are the ones who are coming to procure our palay),” Balmores added.
Retired general and former general manager of the Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office Alexander F. Balutan, who has a ricefield in his hometown in Zaragoza, Nueva Ecija, said he sold 315 bags of freshly harvested palay to the NFA.
“Kaya sa mga kapwa ko magsasaka, magbenta na po sa NFA para kakakuha ng mataas na presyo (So to my fellow farmers, sell your produce to the NFA to get a high price),” he said.
NFA-Nueva Ecija's mobile procurement team and buying stations have so far procured a total of 2,179 bags of dry and wet palay from individual farmers and farmers' cooperatives. (PNA)
