NFA: Around 500,000 sacks of aging rice to be sold in LGUs

Approximately 500,000 sacks of aging rice are set to be sold in local government units in Metro Manila for a cheaper price, the National Food Authority (NFA) said Tuesday.

NFA administrator Larry Lacson explained that under Republic Act No. 12078, which amended RA 11203 or the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL), rice that have reached more than two months can already be disposed before they completely age.

“Sa ngayon ang aming stocks na total na nationwide ng aming milled rice ay nasa 700,000 bags… Eh ‘yan sa nangyari na bagong RTL, eh two months pa lang ay pwede nang i-dispose. Roughly, ‘yan as nasa kalahating milyong sako nationwide,” he said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(Right now, our stocks of milled rice nationwide is 700,000 bags... Because of the new RTL, rice can already be disposed of at only two months of age. Roughly, that's about half a million bags nationwide.)

“Ito 'yung aming ina-eye na ibenta sa mga LGUs para naman sa kanila naman po ay maibahagi din sa constituents. Ito ‘yung about to age [na bigas], two to three months, na pwede naming ibigay or ibenta sa LGUs and other government agencies,” he said.

(These are what we are eyeing to sell to the LGUs so that they can also make it available to their constituents. These are rice that are about to age, about two to three months, that we can give or sell to LGUs and other government agencies.)

Lacson said the NFA will hold a council meeting within the day to discuss how much should the rice be sold per kilo in LGUs. He also clarified that this is separate from the P29 per kilo of aging rice currently being sold in Kadiwa centers.

“Pero ito ay 'di hamak mas mura sa commercial [rice] siguro…ranging from P32 hanggang P36. 'Yan 'yung range na tinitingnan natin. Pag-uusapan po mamaya sa council,” he added.

(But these will be sold cheaper as compared to commercial rice. We’re looking for a price range from P32 to P36. That will be discussed later.)

The NFA official also said that there is no need to call for a rice emergency to dispose of all the aging stocks of rice.

Earlier, the NFA explained that it can only distribute rice bags during calamities. But it said that the Department of Agriculture has been planning to expand Kadiwa stores to distribute more rice and prevent stocks from rotting at the warehouse. —KG, GMA Integrated News