ILOILO – One of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) job is to maintain an optimal level of national rice inventory.
To do this, it is buying palay but solely from local farmers.
Last week, however, NFA Region 6 assistant manager Herrielle Jumagbas urged local government units (LGUs) to augment the agency’s palay procurement fund so it could buy from local farmers at a higher price.
The current NFA palay buying price is P19 per kilo – a price set in 2019 yet.
There has been no price adjustment even if there has been an increase in the prices of farm inputs such as fertilizers and seeds, among others.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. mulls allotting funds to augment NFA’s palay procurement budget, which in turn would benefit Ilonggo farmers.
“Naka-sugilanon kami bag-o lang ni Vice Gov. (Christine) Tingting (Garin) and Provincial Board member Rolly (Distura). Tan-awon ta kon ano ang masarangan naton,” said Defensor.
Since 2019, Defensor said, the provincial government has been helping particularly small farmers by allotting P80 million as loan to 10 cooperatives that bought palay from farmers that have no access to the NFA.
A resolution issued by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan lamented that “due to extreme poverty and the immediate promise of sale, farmers would rather sell their palay for a lower price with NFA than risk a hungry stomach.”/PN
