(INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA 鈥� National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Larry Lacson on Wednesday ordered the buying of palay (unhusked rice) in areas where traders purchase rice from farmers at very low prices.
This came after the Department of Agriculture (DA) started investigating alleged unscrupulous traders who may have taken advantage of local rice farmers amid the peak dry harvest season, with prices below PHP15 per kilogram.
In a Viber message, Lacson said they are exploring ways to secure the remaining harvest in affected areas.
鈥淧inapupuntahan ko sa mga tao ko sa regions, tapos ginagawan ng paraan na mabili (I have instructed my regional personnel to go there, and then they鈥檙e doing efforts to buy),鈥� he told the Philippine 好色先生TV Agency.
鈥淪a Aurora, ganun ang ginawa namin kahapon (That鈥檚 what we did also in Aurora yesterday).鈥�
According to the NFA, the lowest traders鈥� buying price as of April 30 was reported in Bataan at PHP13.50 per kg.
Other areas with PHP14 per kg price include Cagayan, Allacapan, Kalinga, Nueva Vizcaya, Ifugao, and Quirino in Cagayan Valley; Compostela Valley in Southern Mindanao; and Sultan Kudarat in Central Mindanao.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel earlier vowed to prioritize the affected areas in the NFA鈥檚 palay procurement for the next harvest during the wet season.
Palay procurement
Lacson, meanwhile, reported a five-year high palay procurement from local farmers under the Marcos administration.
This is still part of the agency鈥檚 target to complete a 15-day national rice buffer stock in case of calamities and natural disasters, among others.
He said 4 million bags of palay have already been purchased since January.
鈥淥ur buffer stock as of today is 409,000 MT (8.19 million bags) of equivalent milled rice. Highest since 2020,鈥� Lacson said.
The said volume will be sufficient for the country for 10.7 days.听