ROXAS City – There is sufficient supply of rice in this province despite the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, the National Food Authority (NFA)-Capiz said,
NFA-Capiz officer-in-charge Herrielle Jumagbas reiterated her assurance to the Capizeños that there is enough buffer stock of the said product amidst the situation.
Based on the latest rice inventory of the NFA-Capiz from its warehouses in Barangay Bolo here, and in the towns of Sigma and Dumalag as of March 27, the food agency has a total rice inventory of 212,114 bags. The amount is expected to last for 36 days based on the 5,880 bags daily rice requirement of the province.
The NFA’s latest survey also adds that there are 212,670 bags of rice in households, while 114,500 bags are at the retailers and wholesalers.
“That made the total rice inventory of the entire province of Capiz to 539,284 bags to last for 91 days,” said NFA-Capiz information officer Mary Christie Hari-on.
NFA-Capiz will prioritize the issuance of its product through sales to the local government units (LGUs) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development during calamities. Its office is also open from Monday to Saturday at 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The LGUs that would opt to purchase rice from the NFA on credit should have a memorandum of agreement with the latter, while a letter of request and a letter of authority for representatives are required for cash payments.
Under Republic Act 11203, NFA is mandated to maintain a sufficient level of rice buffer stocks, which are sourced from local farmers through procurement. These stocks are intended for emergency or calamity operations.
Last year, a total of 278,907 bags of palay had been procured by NFA-Capiz – rice equivalent of 181,290 bags.
“To replenish rice stocks due to transfer to other warehouses in the region, the local food agency here still buy clean and dry palay at P19 per kilogram,” Hari-on said.(With a report from PIA/PN)
