MANILA – The National Food Authority (NFA) said it is aiming for an all-out distribution of imported rice from Vietnam around the country by the end of this week.
In an interview with GMA News, Rex Estoperez, NFA spokesperson, said a total of 28,000 bags have already been distributed to the provinces, including Pampanga and Bulacan, since June 18.
Meanwhile, imported rice for the National Capital Region have docked in the port on Thursday and 5,000 bags were already unloaded.
Under a government-to-government procurement contract, 250,000 metric tons or five million bags of NFA rice from Vietnam and Thailand have arrived to replenish the country’s buffer stock.
However, the bags have been stalled in the ports of Manila and Subic, Zambales, due to bad weather.
“Ang pangalawang pag-angkat ay darating sa July and August na binili sa private sector suppliers, hindi sa government following the [Republic Act 9184],” Estoperez said.
Estoperez said prices of NFA rice would remain steady at P27 per kilo for 25 percent broken rice and P32 per kilo for 15 percent broken rice.
Last January, the cheaper grains disappeared from public markets as NFA buffer stocks ran out, giving commercial traders opportunity to jack up prices by P1 to P3 per kilo of the Filipino staple. (GMA News)
