BALANGA CITY- The National Food Authority provincial office here on Thursday assured consumers of the availability of both NFA and commercial rice in Bataan although noting that the price of commercial rice shot up from P2 to P3 per kilo.
“There is a slight movement in the price of commercial rice which is expected but we are hopeful it will go down little by little in March when harvest begins in Bataan,” NFA provincial manager Adelaida Nuestro said.
She said that they have rice inventories in their warehouses enough for 30-to-40- day supply. “Walang dapat ikabahala ang ating mga consumers kaya huwag mamili ng marami para hindi tayo mag kaproblema sa supply,” she said.
Nuestro said there were new arrivals of imported rice that helped in increasing rice allocation for retailers.
“Tumaas ang presyo, mabigat sa bulsa,” a woman buying commercial rice said. Vivian Francsco, rice retailer at the Balanga City public market, said the price of commercial rice increased from P2 to P3 a kilo especially on premium rice like Angelica and Sinandomeng.
“Wala raw palay,” she said when asked why the increase in price. Myrna Fernandez, another rice retailer, said she has just received new delivery of fancy rice from Balanga City. “Dati P1,900 a cavan, ngayon P2,000 na kaya ang presyo nito na dating P40 isang kilo, magiging P42 na,” she said.
“Walang inaani kaya may shortage daw sa bigas,” Fernandez added. She said that aside from Bataan, her supply comes from Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan “na lalong mahal.” Eugene Sagun, another rice stall holder in the Balanga City public market, reminded this correspondent that what he told him two weeks ago happened.
“Scarcity ng ani ang dahilan kaya tumaas ng P2 hanggang P3 isang kilo ang high grade rice tulad ng Dinorado at Sinandomeng,” he said. Sagun said even ordinary rice is now worth P2,000 per cavan that has to be retailed at P42 a kilo from the former P40.
Rice retailers accredited by NFA all said that they receive enough allocation from the grains agency.
