Iloilo traders assure no hoarding of rice
To allay the fears of the public as regards the rice supply situation in the market, the Philippine Confederation of Grain Millers and Traders (PhilConGrains) yesterday assured they will not resort into hoarding though it does not mean that it will prevent the prices of rice from rising.
PhilConGrains President Ric Provido Jr. said hoarding of stocks is "risky." He said, they will never know what would be the price of rice after they have bought the stocks in farm gate price.
Miller Elpedio Barcarlos, on the other hand, said they are willing to sell whatever available stocks they have in their warehouse. The availability of the supply depends on the willingness of the millers to sell to the traders. The association assured they will monitor the rice situation.
According to Department of Agriculture regional director Larry Nacionales there is no rice shortage in Western Visayas. The province of Iloilo has the rice sufficiency level of 165%; Antique 175 %; Capiz 156%; Guimaras 132 %; Aklan 128% and Negros Occidental with 70 percent.
Nacionales said there are several factors that affect the prices of rice. They are the technology, climate, energy, water scarcity, agricultural transformation, uncertainty in the global market and perceptions and speculations of traders.
On the part of the National Food Authority, regional manager Hedy Jardeleza said the government is addressing the projected rice shortage through rice importation. She said 192,000 rice of imported rice already arrived at the Iloilo International Port. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) is currently checking the documents relative to the current rice shipment.