The National Food Authority-Bicol office in Legazpi City (PNA photo by Connie Calipay)
LEGAZPI CITY – Rice farmers in Camarines Norte province who sell their palay to the National Food Authority-Bicol (NFA-5) will now receive a higher price of PHP28 per kilogram.
In a phone interview on Thursday, Jaharah Shyrra Pavilando, NFA-5 information officer, said the higher buying price was made possible after the Camarines Norte provincial government and the agency signed a memorandum of agreement on the Palay Marketing Assistance Program for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU) on Tuesday.
"Under the PALLGU program, the provincial government will add a maximum of PHP5 per kilogram to the current palay buying price of the agency amounting to PHP23 per kilogram," Pavilando said.
She added that the provincial government will download the additional amount from its appropriated fund to encourage more local farmers to sell their palay harvests to NFA.
"We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the provincial government of Camarines Norte under the leadership of Governor Ricarte Padilla for supporting our PALLGU program and allotting PHP7.5 million to fund its implementation for the year 2024. Camarines Norte farmers may now benefit from the PALLGU and earn a premium of up to PHP5 per kilogram of palay delivered to NFA, bringing our palay buying price for clean and dry to a maximum of PHP28 per kilogram," Pavilando said.
Aside from Camarines Norte, other LGUs in Bicol that implement PALLGU and their corresponding additional amount to the buying price are Albay provincial government -- PHP3/kg; Malinao, Albay -- PHP2.50/kg; Pilar, Sorsogon -- PHP3/kg; and Barcelona, Sorsogon -- PHP1/kg.
The NFA-Bicol recorded 13,334 bags of palay with 50 kilograms each sold to the agency by Camarines Norte farmers in 2023. (PNA)
