BALANGA CITY, Bataan – The provincial office of the National Food Authority (NFA) over the weekend announced that it has attained a “very high” palay procurement record for 2008, saying it is the highest in the history of the grains agency in Bataan.
Adelaida C. Nuestro, NFA-Bataan manager, said they had bought from local farmers 5,667 metric tons or 113,300 sacks of palay last year that represented a huge jump from mere 65 metric tons procured in 2007.
“This accomplishment in 2008 is unprecedented that surpassed by 130 percent our procurement target of 87,000 sacks of palay and the highest in the history of NFA Bataan and so I commend all our field personnel for job well done,” she said.
The NFA paid more than P95.4 million to farmers at an average price of P850 per sack of palay plus a fertilizer incentive of P1,800 for every 50 bags sold to the grains agency. Private rice traders were buying palay at P500 – P600 per sack during that period.
“Government increased the support price of palay to P17 per kilogram in the second half of 2008 and ordered NFA to intensify its local palay procurement to minimize rice importation this year,” Nuestro said.
The grains agency in Bataan also reported that it was able to sell 258,500 sacks of rice last year which was 92 percent of its targeted 281,000 sacks.
“The timely infusion of NFA rice in the market particularly in the first half of 2008 gave consumers greater access to the staple and helped stabilize the price of rice that rose to P38 per kilogram,” Nuestro said.
The provincial manager said that the new rice distribution strategy of their agency assured that low-priced but quality NFA rice reached its intended beneficiaries which are the poorest of the poor.
The NFA has institutionalized its outlets inside the markets and established “Tindahan Natin” outlets in barangays where the beneficiaries are identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The province’s rice stockpile that included household and commercial stocks was estimated at 307,200 sacks as of December 31, 2008 that is expected to last in 64 days, Nuestro said.
Adelaida C. Nuestro, NFA-Bataan manager, said they had bought from local farmers 5,667 metric tons or 113,300 sacks of palay last year that represented a huge jump from mere 65 metric tons procured in 2007.
“This accomplishment in 2008 is unprecedented that surpassed by 130 percent our procurement target of 87,000 sacks of palay and the highest in the history of NFA Bataan and so I commend all our field personnel for job well done,” she said.
The NFA paid more than P95.4 million to farmers at an average price of P850 per sack of palay plus a fertilizer incentive of P1,800 for every 50 bags sold to the grains agency. Private rice traders were buying palay at P500 – P600 per sack during that period.
“Government increased the support price of palay to P17 per kilogram in the second half of 2008 and ordered NFA to intensify its local palay procurement to minimize rice importation this year,” Nuestro said.
The grains agency in Bataan also reported that it was able to sell 258,500 sacks of rice last year which was 92 percent of its targeted 281,000 sacks.
“The timely infusion of NFA rice in the market particularly in the first half of 2008 gave consumers greater access to the staple and helped stabilize the price of rice that rose to P38 per kilogram,” Nuestro said.
The provincial manager said that the new rice distribution strategy of their agency assured that low-priced but quality NFA rice reached its intended beneficiaries which are the poorest of the poor.
The NFA has institutionalized its outlets inside the markets and established “Tindahan Natin” outlets in barangays where the beneficiaries are identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The province’s rice stockpile that included household and commercial stocks was estimated at 307,200 sacks as of December 31, 2008 that is expected to last in 64 days, Nuestro said.
