Buy palay from local farmers before typhoon hits

With Typhoon Mangkhut expected to bring heavy rains and winds as strong as 160 kph, House Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Karlo Nograles on Monday 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.

“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.”

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 in the provinces that will be affected” explained the third-term congressman.

~ Rep. Karlo Nograles