Arthur Fuentes

Sacks of well-milled rice are unloaded during a ceremonial turn-over of NFA Rice by the Department of Agriculture to LGUs as part of the Food Security Emergency on Rice on February 19, 2025 at the NFA Warehouse in Valenzuela City. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

NFA rice warehouse

Jervis Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1740727017081New Project.png" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner"><br/></span></span></span></div><h2>As traders buy palay way below NFA prices</h2><p>MANILA (UPDATE) -- Local government units should speed up the pullout of rice stocks from the National Food Authority to free up valuable storage space, the NFA said on Friday.</p><p>The NFA is selling rice at P33 to P35 per kilo to LGUs under the food security emergency declared by the government to help bring down rice prices.</p><p>NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said LGUs should hasten getting their rice stocks from the Department of Agriculture&#x27;s Food Terminal Inc, so the agency can have more storage space for the rice it plans to buy from farmers.</p><p>Lacson said 67 LGUs have expressed interest but so far, only San Juan, Navotas, and Camarines Sur have actually ordered rice.</p><p>&quot;Anihan na so it&#x27;s really critical for us na ma-decongest yung warehouses,&quot; Lacson said.</p><p>(It&#x27;s harvest season so it&#x27;s critical for us to decongest the warehouses.)</p><p>Lacson said that the NFA&#x27;s storage capacity is nearly at its limit and that the pullout of rice stocks would not only free up space but also support the NFA in stabilizing prices, preventing the exploitation of farmers by middlemen and traders.</p><p>&quot;We appeal to LGUs to fast-track the pullout of rice reserves. This will open up space in our warehouses, allowing us to procure more palay and ensure that farmers aren’t at the mercy of traders pushing down prices,&quot; Lacson said.</p><p>According to the NFA, it has received reports that traders are purchasing palay as low as P15 per kilo, which is far below the NFA&#x27;s purchasing price of P23 to P24 for clean and dry palay. This could make farmers lose around P4,100 per hectare, it said.</p><p>&quot;Of particular concern is Mindoro, where NFA palay procurement has been hindered by fully stocked warehouses. The NFA plans to build a new warehouse in Mindoro to increase capacity, though it may not be ready until next year,&quot; the agency said.</p><p>&quot;Kaya sa mga LGUs, let&#x27;s take this opportunity na matulungan mga consumers sa localities nila by providing murang bigas para mahatak pa ang presyo ng bigas sa merkado, pangalawa, makakatulong din sila indirectly sa mga magsasaka,&quot; he added.</p><p>(Let us take this opportunity to help consumers in your localities by providing them access to cheaper rice. Indirectly, you will be able to help our farmers as well.)</p><p>The NFA said San Juan City has already started pulling out NFA rice stocks, with Navotas, Cotabato, and Camarines Sur expected to follow suit. FTI reports that these three LGUs have pending orders for over 120,000 sacks of rice. Meanwhile, Navotas City has started selling cheaper NFA rice on Friday, making it the second LGU to do so.</p><p>The NFA said Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. also ordered it and FTI to facilitate the quick release of rice stocks, including offering easier payment terms for LGUs. The agency said clearing out existing rice stocks is crucial to meeting the country’s new buffer stock levels, as mandated by the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).</p><p>The NFA also noted that under the amended RTL, it is required to maintain a buffer stock for 15 days.</p><p>&quot;This year, the agency needs to procure 545,000 metric tons of palay to maintain a 9-day supply, with a total of 880,000 metric tons needed to meet the 15-day target,&quot; it said. </p><p>The government declared a food security emergency on rice earlier this month due to the “extraordinary” rise in local rice prices. Despite cutting tariffs on imported rice to 15 percent from 35 percent, rice prices had remained high for several months.</p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JCLeSIZ2XpA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>The NFA said its storage capacity is nearly at its limit and that the pullout of rice stocks would not only free up space but also help stabilize prices.</p>

The NFA said its storage capacity is nearly at its limit and that the pullout of rice stocks would not only free up space but also help stabilize prices.

LGUs urged to hasten pullout of cheap NFA rice to free up storage

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LGUs urged to hasten pullout of cheap NFA rice to free up storage

Arthur Fuentes,

Jervis Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published February 28, 2025 03:17 PM PHT

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Updated February 28, 2025 05:05 PM PHT

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rice prices

rice stocks

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food security emergency

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