To address the rice requirements of government institutional buyers amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Agriculture-National Food Authority (DA-NFA) halted its supply to all its NFA accredited rice retailers.
DA-NFA Caraga information officer Amelou Jane Mendoza said that they reserved their supply to local government units and other government relief giving institutions in adherence to their new mandate.
“With the implementation of the Republic Act 11203 or Rice Tarrification Law (RTL), the primary mandate of DA-NFA is to secure the buffer stock to be distributed in times of emergency or calamities,” she explained
Currently, Mendoza said that DA-NFA is focusing on serving the needs of LGUs and other government agencies for their relief operations as the public are on limited movement due to quarantine measures.
Mendoza bared that from March up to April 24, 2020, around 37,340 bags of 50 kgs. had been released to LGUs and DSWD.
“Based on our inventory with 2% market participation of NFA rice from daily consumption rate, our supply would eventually last of up to two months,” she disclosed.
However, if the market participation of NFA rice would increase up to 25% due to high demand from institutional buyers, the NFA supply could last to a month.
“There is no need to be alarmed; so far, we have enough supply of NFA rice,” she said.
Recent report from Department of Agriculture-Caraga also assures enough supply based on the current harvest season in the region. Caraga is expected to produce 315,947 metric tons or an equivalent of 134% rice sufficiency by the end of the first semester based on the consolidated planting report of the Local Government Units.
Farmers are also assured of available market for their rice products with NFA currently buying palay harvest from local farmers in the region with a higher price of P19.00 per kilo, clean and dry.
NFA assures that warehouses all over Caraga Region will accommodate interested farmers who would want to sell their produce. (Aurelius P. Arais/DA13-RAFIS)
