Capiz rice harvest season now on-going
Roxas City -- "The province's rice harvest for the wet season is now on-going."
This was affirmed by Capiz Agriculturist Sylvia dela Cruz, noting that the earliest harvest started in late August while the bulk of the of the harvest period will be later this month.
The Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) -- Capiz estimated a 115,655 metric tons of palay yield to be generated from a total of 37,731 hectares of planted ricelands for the July to September quarter.
The harvest yield is expected to boost the province's rice supply at the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses, commercial traders, and household stocks.
In related developments, the NFA assured consumers of ample supply of rice until the end of the year in Malacañang press briefing last Sept. 5.
"We assure you that we do not have shortage of rice, especially because we have enough inventories in our (NFA) warehouses," NFA Director Rex Espoperez said.
The NFA has the required 15 metric tons buffer stock of NFA rice in its warehouses and that it is expecting another 260,000 metric tons of imported rice to arrive this month, he added.
He said the NFA, together with the Department of Agriculture, has carried out measures to further boost the country's production of rice and to prevent unscrupulous individuals from unduly jacking up prices of rice.
(PIA/A.Lumaque)