NFA assures enough rice supply in Western Visayas
The National Food Authority (NFA) has assured the stable supply of rice in Western Visayas amid growing concerns of a rice crisis brought by rising global demand and a drop in production.
Vilma Zarraga, Officer in Charge-Regional Manager of the NFA in Western Visayas, said the rice inventory in the region stands at 4.2 million bags which could last for 72 days.
The inventory consists of 2.267 million bags in households, 1.566 million bags in commercial retailers and wholesalers and 386,000 bags with the government stock as of March 19.
The daily rice consumption in the region stands at 58,000 bags or 1.74 million bags monthly, according to Zarraga.
Zarraga said they also expect the arrival of imported rice from Thailand, Vietnam and Pakistan consisting of 126,000 bags for Negros Occidental and 74,000 bags for Iloilo. She said the inventory and importation is the same level with that during the same period last year.
Prices remain stable ranging from P21 to P25 per kilo but this is expected to increase during the lean season from June to August.
Zarraga said they are preparing for lean months from June to August beefing up their inventory to offset any shortage.
Meanwhile, reports said that Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap announced that the government will be subsidizing poor families in parts of the country due to skyrocketing prices of rice.
Yap said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will be distributing rice coupons and food stamps to poor families nationwide.
"Food stamps, cash coupons would be distributed to deserving families given compliance of certain conditions. DSWD is completing the mechanics of this, and in the next few weeks they are going to roll this out nationwide, especially in the provinces where there is a high incidence of hunger," Yap said in an ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) interview.
Those given rice coupons and food stamps can exchange these for subsidized rice and food in government-authorized food outlets.
He added the move is part of the Arroyo administration's efforts to extend assistance to indigents in the country with the continuous shooting up of rice prices in the market.
Yap said President Arroyo also released an additional P2.75 billion to the Department of Agriculture (DA) to increase domestic rice production.
The DA chief clarified that even if rice prices go up, it does not necessarily mean that there is a shortage of the staple grain.
"We have enough supply… there are reasons or forces pushing the price of the commodity up. But it does not mean that the commodity is absent. The price is now adjusting to its true level," Yap said.
He said some of the factors of the increase in rice price are the rising cost of fertilizers, shipping and even climate change. (With a report from ABS-CBN News)