NFA: We have enough rice
LINGAYEN–The National Food Authority (NFA) has assured that the province will not run out of rice supply despite the prevailing drought brought about by the El Niño phenomenon.
Ramon Cuaresma, NFA branch manager in western Pangasinan, said the present rice stock of the province, plus the stocks that are scheduled to come in, could last for nine months.
The NFA currently has 400,000 bags stored in its warehouses around the province, another 165,000 bags of commercial rice are in the hands of private traders, and an estimated 754,000 bags of household stock are with the farmers.
Cuaresma said despite the mild drought in certain areas of the province, the harvest for second cropping this February is pegged at 278,000 bags, excluding the expected harvest in March.
He said western Pangasinan also continues to receive imported rice and the volume of scheduled volume until May will reach 60,000 bags, which is good for a month’s supply for the entire province.
Optimistic that only a mild drought will be felt in Pangasinan, Cuaresma said the rice planting calendar in Pangasinan will most likely just be delayed for one month.
This means that the regular planting period from May to June may be moved from June to July, and harvesting would then be expected in November instead of October.
The NFA has vowed to saturate the markets with government rice if the price of commercial rice becomes unaffordable to consumers.
The NFA sells three different kinds of rice pegged at a per kilo price of P18.25, P25, and P35.—LM
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