BALANGA CITY — A check on rice retail outlets on Thursday showed the presence of enough supply of rice from the National Food Authority at the city public market here.
Adelaida Nuestro, NFA provincial manager, in a telephone call said that indeed there is enough NFA rice supply sold at P27 per kilo but said per inventory, it will last only until the end of August 2019.
“After August, hindi namin alam kung meron pang darating,” she said.
She, however, said that they are continuously buying palay from local farmers. NFA buying price is P20.70 per kilo, including incentives for cooperatives and drying fee.
She said that the price of rice is going down because of the harvest season.
“Bumaba ang presyo ng commercial rice ng piso kada kilo,” rice seller Marilou dela Rosa said. She cited as examples rice previously sold at P38 and P42 per kilo, now sold at P37 and P40, respectively.
Dela Rosa said that they have not run out of supply of NFA rice despite the good sale.
A woman buyer said she mixes NFA rice with commercial rice sold at P50 a kilo. “Okay presyo ng bigas, bumaba,” she said.
“Laging may NFA rice. Mabili. Ang halaga ng commercial rice bumaba tulad ng dating P46 isang kilo, P44 na lang at ang P44, naging P42,” rice seller Jennifer Hardman said.
Agrifino Abejar, another rice retailer, said buyers are selective because of the lowering of prices of commercial rice. “Tinitingnan muna nilang mabuti ang bigas. Kapag okay sa tingin, inaamoy. Namimili sila ng magandang NFA, yong walang amoy,” he said.
