CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The National Food Authority (NFA) in Central Luzon said yesterday some 200,000 cavans of palay are now being milled daily in 100 rice mills at the Intercity Complex in Bocaue, Bulacan.
This was reported by the NFA which, along with the Department of Trade and Industry, held an unannounced visit to the rice mills earlier this week. Officials of the two agencies were accompanied by policemen and agents of the National Bureau of Investigation.
Intercity Neighborhood Association president Eduardo Escalante said the overwhelming applications for milling of palay was an indication that the country had enough supply of rice this harvest season.
He said sacks of palay were about from farmers at P30 per kilo and, after being milled, are sold from P2,355 to P2,400 per cavan, or about P48 per kilo.
NFA Bulacan provincial manager Elvira Obana said that farmers are now on their second or third harvest of palay that will significantly augment rice supply.
She said the local harvests would be on top of the 120,000 cavans of imported rice intended for Bulacan consumers, even as she noted that the NFA has already approved minimum access volume for importation by the private sector.
