NFA Pangasinan assures enough rice buffer stocks
NO worries. Pangasinan has enough rice buffer stocks despite the El Niño phenomenon.
Frederick Dulay, assistant branch manager of the National Food Authority-Pangasinan, said their palay stocks as of March 7 totaled 17,000 bags, and when converted to rice, it is around 11,000 bags.
The shelf life of their stocks is up to six months. When these are not availed by the LGUs because of the absence of calamities, the NFA is authorized to sell its rice stocks to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and government-owned hospitals, he said.
“Our (rice) stocks are newly-procured. We mill them and these are good products,” Dulay stressed.
He explained that in case they have excess supply, they bring it to other regions or provinces that have low stocks.
Due to the expected effects of drought caused by the El Niño phenomenon, Dulay said it will definitely affect their supply.
“Pag mababa yung production nila (farmers), eh baka mahirapan tayong makabili,” he said, adding that the past weeks, they have been going around different areas in Pangasinan looking for farmers harvesting their palay from whom they can possibly buy for the NFA’s buffer stocks.
They buy palay from farmers at P23 per kilo for dry palay and P19 per kilo for wet.
He said traders buy higher P26 to P29 pesos per kilo but the NFA talks to farmer leaders to sell to NFA even a few of their harvest. LGUs also help the NFA in talking to the farmers by providing incentives.
NFA has two warehouses each in Rosales and Mangatarem, three in Binalonan, one in Alaminos City, Asingan and San Quintin. (Eva Visperas)
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