Farmers in Mangaldan, Pangasinan are delaying the sale of their newly harvested palay as prices remain low, dropping to P17.50 per kilo compared to the P27 to P28 per kilo last year.
Eddie Mayugba, a farmer, has been drying 50 sacks of palay from his half-hectare farmland for two days.
Instead of selling them immediately, he will store them in the warehouse while waiting for buying prices to improve.
“Parang mababa kasi ang presyo. Dati kasi nasa P27 to P28,” Mayugba said.
Current price of palay in Pangasinan:
- Freshly harvested palay: P17.50 per kilo
- Dried palay: P22-P23 per kilo
- Last year's price: P27-P28 per kilo
FARMERS URGED TO SELL TO GOV’T
With the ongoing harvest season, the National Food Authority (NFA) is encouraging farmers to sell their palay to the agency to help secure the country’s food supply, especially during disasters.
The NFA aims to procure 870,000 metric tons of palay nationwide this year.
“Nakita naman po natin na hindi lang Eastern Pangasinan ang nakikinabang sa kanilang delivery kundi nabibigyan din natin ang mga provinces or region na hindi makapagproduce ng sariling palay,” Shoreen Manglinong, Acting Assistant Branch Manager of NFA-Pangasinan, said.
NFA said rice and palay stocks in their warehouses across Pangasinan remain sufficient.
