CABANATUAN CITY — There will be enough rice for Novo Ecijanos for the lean months, government and private grains officials assured the public at the onset of rainy season Friday.
Edelino Alejandro, National Food Authority (NFA) manager for Nueva Ecija, said the agency’s warehouses are stocked with some 600,000 bags of rice from Vietnam and Thailand, on top of the more than 70,000 bags of palay procured from local farmers.
“We have a very good buffer stock right now while our procurement teams continue to buy from local farmers at the NFA support price of P17.50 per kilo to include incentives,” Alejandro said when asked if the agency is prepared for the lean months.
Weather disturbances also require readiness of the agency to provide relief supplies to affected people, usually asked for by both national agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development , the local disaster and coordinating councils and local government units.
“Definitely we can provide. We have always been ready for such conditions,” the officials said.
He expressed belief there could be no repeat this year of the 2008 situation when people had to rush for limited rice allocation per purchase.
“You can visit accredited stores in the province and you can see regular milled rice at prices as low as P28 per kilo,” Alejandro stressed.
Edna Aguilar, rice dealer and an officer of the local association of rice dealers, shared Alejandro’s observation. She said that besides the government stocks, the private sector has enough grains to sell during lean months.
The months from June to September are considered lean since farmers are beginning a new cropping season thus spending for inputs amid expenditures for school opening and calamities brought by the rainy days.
Edelino Alejandro, National Food Authority (NFA) manager for Nueva Ecija, said the agency’s warehouses are stocked with some 600,000 bags of rice from Vietnam and Thailand, on top of the more than 70,000 bags of palay procured from local farmers.
“We have a very good buffer stock right now while our procurement teams continue to buy from local farmers at the NFA support price of P17.50 per kilo to include incentives,” Alejandro said when asked if the agency is prepared for the lean months.
Weather disturbances also require readiness of the agency to provide relief supplies to affected people, usually asked for by both national agencies such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development , the local disaster and coordinating councils and local government units.
“Definitely we can provide. We have always been ready for such conditions,” the officials said.
He expressed belief there could be no repeat this year of the 2008 situation when people had to rush for limited rice allocation per purchase.
“You can visit accredited stores in the province and you can see regular milled rice at prices as low as P28 per kilo,” Alejandro stressed.
Edna Aguilar, rice dealer and an officer of the local association of rice dealers, shared Alejandro’s observation. She said that besides the government stocks, the private sector has enough grains to sell during lean months.
The months from June to September are considered lean since farmers are beginning a new cropping season thus spending for inputs amid expenditures for school opening and calamities brought by the rainy days.
