Villar urges NFA to seek for places where there could be lower prices of palay

CALBAYOG CITY – Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food Chairperson Sen. Cynthia Villar had urged the National Food Authority (NFA) to seek out other sources of palay and look in places like Southern Luzon and Mindanao where the agency could buy rice products from local farmers at much lower prices.

“Sinasabi ng NFA na mahirap bumili ng palay at P17 per kilo dahil siguro nakikipagtawaran sila doon sa Central Luzon na malapit sa Maynila. If you go to Mindoro, Antique, Camarines Sur, North Cotabato, ‘yung mga sikat na rice producers mura ang bigas doon. Dapat kung ikaw ang NFA mahanap mo yung lugar na makakabili ka at at doon ka magfocus,” she explained.

Villar was guest of honor at the 326th Calbayog Fiesta celebration here.

She added that farmers also complained that they could not sell their produce to NFA because of the high deduction on moisture content.

“Kung ako ang NFA kahit mataas ang moisture content bibili ako ng bigas para palagi akong may buffer stock kasi ang mandate ng NFA bibili ng bigas at P17 i-mill niya at huwag mapabayaan ang farmers na maging biktima ng traders,” the lady solon explained.

She pointed out that this would not only help farmers, but also the consumers so they could buy rice at only P27-32 per kilo.

Villar blamed the NFA for the continuous increase in rice prices, and the alleged rice shortage in some parts of Mindanao.

“Nawala ‘yung mandate na ‘yun kasi ang bigas tumaas ng tumaas kaya siguro kailangan nating pagigihan yung trabaho natin para hindi mangyari itong nangyari sa atin ngayon,” she stressed.

Villar reiterated that she strongly opposes the proposal of Agricultural Secretary Emmanuel Piñol to legalize the entry of smuggled rice to the Philippines.

“The Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act of 2016 is a very strong legislation at hindi natin pwedeng i-legalize ang smuggling. That’s against the law. Maaccuse tayo ng disobeying the law unless we amend (the law) in the congress, hindi pwedeng hindi natin sundin ‘yun,” she ended.