MANILA – The National Food Authority (NFA) is now looking into reports of alleged fake cooperatives being used by traders to sell paddy rice or palay to the agency.
“Inutusan na namin ang aming legal department para tignan ito at tinitignan ang proseso kung bakit nagkakaroon ng ganitong issue,” NFA Officer-in-Charge administrator Tomas Escarez said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.
This came after Agriculture secretary Manny Piñol has reportedly sent a letter asking the agency to look into complaints of farm leaders claiming that inactive cooperatives are being used to sell palay to the NFA.
Escarez said he was also surprised that Piñol is ordering such an investigation.
“Pero nakausap ko si secretary (Piñol), meron daw mga nagti-text sa kanya na baka may mga nakapagdala ng palay sa NFA sa ilang bayan. Dito sa area ng Region 3 ang mayroong ilang complaint,” he said.
“Mayroon pong nagmensahe na may nabibiling palay mula doon sa mga hindi otorisadong kooperatiba,” he added.
The NFA chief, however, said that he already explained to Piñol that the agency employs a very strict process in accrediting cooperatives and buying palay from them.
“Nilinaw ko sa ating secretary na iyong pagbili na iyon, napakatindi ng ating control diyan,” Escarez said.
“Karamihan ng mga nagrereklamo na gumagawa ng ganoon ay iyong mga hindi basta nakapapasok. Kasi bago ka makapagbenta ng palay sa NFA, merong tinatawag na farmers passbook. Isa sa requirement nito iyong certification mula sa Department of Agriculture,” he added. (GMA News)
