MANILA – The National Food Authority (NFA) on Thursday said it will no longer rebag clean and dry palay (unhusked rice) procured from local farmers.
In a press conference at the NFA headquarters in Quezon City, NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said the pilot testing of the initiative will help reduce handling costs and save money to buy more palay from farmers.
“Ngayon, umpisa na natin this. Ngayon na, itong (Now, we are starting this. Now, this) wet season harvest, up to 20 percent of our procurement magiging sako na ng farmers. Hindi na natin ililipat. So hindi na gagastos dito si NFA sa sako (it will be the sacks of our farmers. We will no longer rebag it. So, the NFA will not spend on sacks),” he said.
He said the NFA will save at least PhP 27 million for the wet harvest season until December, and around PhP 215 million for 2025.
Lacson said once the pilot testing until December succeeds, 90 percent of the palay to be procured will be allowed to be bagged in farmers’ sacks next year.
“Kaunti lang iyong (that’s minimal) PhP 27 million. Pero for next year, parang (But for next year, about) 7, 700 metric tons of palay ang kayang bilhin nung (which may be bought with) PHP215 million,” Lacson said.
Besides this, he said farmers will also benefit from the streamlined and “more efficient” procedure.
“Maraming ugnayan (There’s multiple discussions) with the various farmers groups and nationwide na nagsabi sila ang bagal ng pagbebenta dahil inililipat pa ng sako iyong kanilang mga palay (where they said that the palay procurement is slow because of the transferring of sacks),” Lacson said.
Lacson, meanwhile, said it will propose a selling price framework to the NFA Council for NFA rice to government agencies.
“So, it will be sort of, ng pricers natin (of our pricers), aangat, bababa, depende sa merkado (it will increase and decrease depending on the market). So, but, ito lang ang sinisiguro natin, mas mura siya at least ng 20 percent sa current price, average price ng (this is what we can assure, that it’s cheaper of at least 20 percent of the current price, the average price of) well-milled rice,” he said.
Earlier, the agency increased its selling price of NFA rice to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to PhP 38/kg. from PhP 25/kg. (PNA)