BALANGA CITY – The buying price of palay by the National Food Authority (NFA) at P17 per kilo is no match to P28 or more offered by private rice traders.
With this in mind, the NFA provincial office here on Wednesday expressed worry that they may not be able to procure palay from local farmers this harvest season.
Harvest in Bataan starts first week of October.
“Malungkot, kung sa presyo namin na P17 per kilo na tuyo, clean and dry na palay, talagang hindi kami makakabili sa kasalukuyan,” NFA provincial manager Adelaida Nuestro said.
She said that based on their interview with local rice millers, buying price of dry palay was already at P28 a kilo. Wet or undried palay with high moisture content are bought at P23 – P23.50 per kilo.
“Kapag pinatuyo, mahigit P28 at umaabot pa sa P29 per kilo ang palay. Kaya maiisip kung bakit ganoon kataas ang presyo ng bigas sa mga palengke,” Nuestro said. Commercial rice at the Balanga City public market ranges from P48 to P64 per kilo.
Rosemarie Reyes, owner of St. Peter Ricemill in Orion, Bataan said that before Typhoon Ompong, they had plenty of palay stock after farmers rushed in harvesting. “Natakot sa bagyo ang mga magsasaka kaya nag-ani kahit berde pa, nagmadali.”
She said that some of their palay stock came from Tarlac which are cheaper than those harvested in Bataan.
She disclosed that they started buying undried palay in Orion at P22 a kilo that rose to P23.50. Palay from Bulacan cost P22 – P23 a kilo.
“Mas mura ang palay galing sa Tralac na P21 ang isang kilo kaya lang sariwa pa rin ito at malaki ang shrinkage,” Reyes said.
