The National Food Authority-Bicol office in Legazpi City (PNA photo by Connie Calipay)
LEGAZPI CITY – The National Food Authority (NFA)-5 (Bicol) on Wednesday said more rice farmers in the region are selling their palay (unhusked rice) harvest to the agency because of the higher buffer stocking incentive provided by the government.
In an interview, Jaharah Shyrra Pavilando, NFA-5 information officer, said from the time President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the increased buying price for dry palay from PHP19 to PHP23 and wet palay from PHP16 to PHP19, they have procured 7,000 bags of palay from Sept. 21 to Oct. 17.
“The rice farmers are happy based on the monitoring of our different provincial offices during procurement. With the new buying price, they are very much willing to sell their harvest,” Pavilando said.
She noted that aside from the higher buying price of palay per kilo, those towns that have signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with NFA on the Palay Marketing Assistance Program for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU) program will get an additional increase.
These municipalities and the additional amount are Malinao, Albay – PHP2.50 per kg.; Barcelona, Sorsogon – PHP3 per kg.; and Matnog, Sorsogon – PHP1 per kg.
Pavilando said they also buy wet palay and provide solar-drying pavement to the farmers.
“We are expecting more palay harvest since some ricefields will have their harvest by the end of the month,” she said. (PNA)
