CABANATUAN CITY – Here’s good news for the farmers who are now in the thick of harvesting their palay.
The National Food Authority (NFA) is buying palay at P17 pus an incentive of P3 and P0.70 for hauling and delivery. On top of this, the Department of Agriculture will give an additional incentive to cooperative and association of farm power and equipment for selling to the cereal agency big volume of palay.
The NFA has downloaded P258 million to its regional office in Region III here to buy palay at a new price of P20.70 per kilogram plus other incentives.
Piolito Santos, NFA regional director in Central Luzon, said in a radio interview over the provincial station DWAY, said the NFA is buying at its legislated floor price of P17 per kg of dried palay but this time with additional incentives of P3 buff er stocking price plus P0.70 for delivery and drying incentives.
He also said that the NFA will buy fresh harvest from the farmers, through its buying stations, but at varying exfarm prices depending on the grains moisture content.
Last Saturday, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, announced in his regular “Biyaheng Bukid” program over DZRH that the cereal agency has allotted P7 billion for palay buying all over the country.
He also said that cooperatives and associations will get bonus on top of the mandated government buying price of P17 per kg of dried palay, P3 will be added as incentive and the farm equipment, like hand tractor, harvesters and solar pump, would be given to cooperatives which can sell to the agency huge volumes of palay.
“The NFA council did not approve to increase the floor price of P17 to P20 per kilogram but it approved an incentive P3 per kilogram for those selling their palay to the cereal agency,” Piñol, who is the new council chair, said.
The NFA has been reverted thru an executive to be under the supervision of DA. It used to be under the care of the cabinet secretary during the previous administration.
The NFA is also buying fresh harvest from the farmers, even with higher moisture content, but with varying ex-farm price. But it will also carry an incentive of P3.70 per kg incentive” Piñol added.
The agency is targeting to buy the local harvest up to 2.7 million bags of 50 kg each, it was learned.
Piñol, in his announcement, said that starting end of this month, there will only be four classification of commercial milled rice to be sold to the market. These are regular milled rice, well-milled rice, premium, and special rice.
“Kung anu-ano kasi ang pangalan ng mga bigas na ibinebenta ang katotohanan ay hindi naman siyang totoo. Marami tuloy ang naloloko na mamimili (They are giving different names to the commercial rice being sold in the market but many of them were not true. There are many buyers who are being duped),” he said.
He also next year, packed rice with appropriate labels–like name of variety, origin, and exact weight – will appear in the market.
“May nanloloko ring mga retailers lalo na kung ang tamang timbang ng bigas ang pinag-uusapan (There are many retailers who are short selling the buyers in terms of weight),’ he said.
As soon as the NFA announced its new pricing for the purchase palay harvest, however, rice traders, thru their numerous agents, have been going around announcing that their buying price for the fresh harvest is for P17 per kilogram for the short grain varieties and P19 for the long grain rice variety. This was up from P16 to P16.50 per kg a few days ago.
For the dried palay, according to Wilfredo Bernardo who just sold his harvest o a trader, the buying price was up to P21 per kilogram.
