Nograles to NFA: buy palay from farmers before typhoon

With Typhoon Mangkhut expected to bring heavy rains and winds as strong as 160 kph, House Appropriations Committee Chairperson Rep. Karlo “Ang Probinsyano” Nograles called on the National Food Authority (NFA) to intensify rice procurement operations so that it could buy palay from farmers before the supertyphoon hits the country and ensure that there are standby

stocks for Northern Mindanao.

“The NFA has not had a good track record in procuring rice from local farmers, but if there is a time for them to step up and intensify their rice procurement operations, this is it,” stressed Nograles, who reiterated his call for the NFA Council to increase the buying price of palay from the current 17 pesos to 22 pesos so that the NFA could compete with local rice traders.

Nograles said that with rice buffer stocks down to three days as reported by the NFA, and imported rice not expected to arrive in the country until November, “the onus is on the NFA to find and purchase additional rice stocks as soon as possible.”

“These additional rice stocks are critical to ensure that areas like Northern Mindanao have steady rice supplies even if typhoons damage crops. We do not want a repeat of the surge in rice prices that hit several areas in the country, like Cagayan De Oro City,” Nograles added.

The three days is far lower than the minimum 15-day of buffer stock the NFA is required to maintain.

“The NFA has to try to secure as much rice locally because one, if they do not buy the palay stocks, these might be adversely affected by the coming supertyphoon. Two, if the country continues to get hit by strong typhoons, the NFA will need a healthy buffer stock to allow it to distribute rice for government relief operations” explained the third-term congressman.

Nograles said he was concerned that as of July this year, the NFA only had 53,000 metric tons of rice in its warehouses, with the additional 250,000 metric tons approved by the NFA for importation still weeks away from arriving.

The solon from Davao also lamented how government appeared to prioritize importing from countries like Vietnam while ignoring calls to increase the buying price of palay so it could buy rice from local farmers.

“The buying price of palay has remained unchanged since 2008. Since then, we have seen local palay procurement dip while rice importations keep on jumping each year. Buti pa ang magsasaka ng Vietnam, naibebenta ang kanilang produkto sa gobyerno natin, habang mga magsasaka natin dito, ang mga kapwa ko probinsyano, binabarat natin. I think 17 pesos is an unrealistic rate, and it is high time for us to adjust it so we can buy from our own farmers.”