STOCKPILE INVENTORY. Personnel of the National Food Authority (NFA) in Bicol region conduct the 1st semester physical inventory of palay in a warehouse in this undated photo. The agency on Wednesday (May 22, 2024) said its palay procurement this month has so far exceeded their target by 442 percent. (Photo courtesy of NFA Bicol)
LEGAZPI CITY – The National Food Authority (NFA) in Region 5 (Bicol) has significantly surpassed its palay (unhusked rice) procurement target for May, an official said on Wednesday.
In an interview, NFA-Bicol Regional Manager Julie Llenaresas said: "Our achievement this month has exceeded expectations by more than 442 percent. While our target was 51,500 bags of palay, we have accomplished 313,485 bags with 50 kilograms per sack. We are grateful to our farmers for choosing to use NFA's services. They can be assured that their profits have been maximized."
She said one of the reasons for the feat is the higher buying price of PHP17 to PHP23 per kilogram for fresh or wet palay (from the old PHP16 to PHP19 per kg); and PHP23 to PHP30 per kg. for clean and dry palay (formerly set at PHP19 to PHP23 per kg.).
Llenaresas said that the three branches of NFA in Bicol achieved more than 100 percent in palay procurement - Albay, 240 percent; Camarines Sur, 745 percent; and Sorsogon, 154 percent.
"We still have two more weeks for the harvest season, and we expect more palay to be procured particularly in Camarines Sur," she noted.
Llenaresas said that considering the high volumes of procurement, the rice stock in the coming months would be sufficient.
"After the harvest season this May, by June to July we will start milling," she said.
She said they are procuring more palay from local farmers to secure buffer stock to be distributed in times of calamities or emergencies to different local government units (LGUs), the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and other relief-providing agencies upon request.
"LGUs are requesting rice from NFA for their relief augmentation to encourage people to evacuate in time of typhoons, and other calamities," Llenaresas said. (PNA)
