SAN JOSE, Antique – The National Food Authority (NFA) in Antique is expecting additional 30,000 bags of imported rice to be delivered this September.
NFA provincial manager Marianito Bejemino said on Saturday that the additional bags of imported rice were supposed to arrive last month in time for the lean months.
“The imported rice already belongs to the second tranche of importation for Antique,” Bejemino added.
Antique received 10,000 bags of rice from Thailand in the first tranche in July.
The province’s share was used for the supplemental feeding program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Some of the bags were also released to accredited rice retailers in the province.
“In the first tranche, there were 3,256 bags of rice that were delivered to the different day care centers in the province for the supplemental feeding program,” Bejemino said.
He added that in the second tranche, they have allocated 3,252 bags of rice for the supplemental feeding program.
There are 675 day care centers in Antique with 21,687 children, who are the target beneficiaries for the 120-day feeding program, said DSWD provincial head Melrose Amaran.
Bejemino said 74 accredited retailers were provided with rice from the first tranche so they could sell cheaper rice to consumers.
“We allocated 30 bags of rice to our accredited retailers who sold inside the market per week and then 20 bags to those who sold outside the market,” he added.
Accredited retailers selling rice in their barangays were allocated with 10 bags per week.
Meanwhile, Bejemino said NFA has suspended the delivery of rice to four retailers for a week due to unreasonable depletion of stocks.
“Our monitors were surprised because of the fast depletion of the rice,” Bejemino said.
He reminded other retailers to abide with the policy of the NFA or face suspension and other penalties. (With a report from PNA/PN)
