BAS bares Antique's rice surplus production
San Jose, Antique – The Province's rice yield from January to December 2007 reached 243,177 metric tons with an equivalent value of P2.777 billion bared Nerisa Valdellon head of Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) here .
For the first quarter of 2008, the province produced 61,890 metric tons valued at P132.158 million, the source said.
The National Food Authority (NFA) here conducted an on-site visits in all municipalities and the result showed higher prices prevailed in southern areas of the province of as high as P29.00 per kilo against prices in central and northern Antique ranging from as low as P20.00 kilo to as high as P23.00, the NFA report showed.
Antique for several consecutive years has been leading in rice production, the latest report showed a 169 percent surplus, Provincial Agriculturist Nicolasito reported.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo announced recently that rice would be part of the agenda when she hold bilateral talks with Thailand Prime Minister Sanok Surdaravej who would be arriving in Manila for an official visit on April 4, PIA dispatch stated.
In a related development Agriculture Secretary Yap who was part of the President's investment delegation in Hongkong, announced that the National Food Authority's direct method of distributing rice to consumers in Manila in coordination with Mayor Lim, Manila City Hall Employees, civil society and church groups would go full blast next week, the source pointed out.
The rice distribution scheme in Manila is expected to be duplicated all over the country, especially in depressed areas, where most of the poorest of the poor are found, PIA report revealed.
Rice bags of three to five kilos shall be sold by the NFA in depressed areas and other places whose residents are in the DSWD's list of qualified buyers. NFA rice maybe bought for P18.25 per kilo while the commercial variety will be available at P22, P25 and P26.00 a kilo the report added. (EA Abasquez/PIA)