BACOLOD City – The distribution of National Food Authority (NFA) in Negros Occidental will last until August only.
Republic Act (RA) 11203, or the Rice Import and Export Liberalization Law, took effect on Tuesday, removes NFA’s regulatory functions over international and domestic trading of rice, said NFA provincial manager Frisco Canoy.
The import restrictions on rice were lifted after President Rodrigo Duterte signed the RA 11203 on Feb.14 to make the price more affordable.
“We have programmed the distribution until August this year. We are on ‘wait and see’ status in terms of distribution,” Canoy said.
The NFA will now concentrate on its buffer stocking for calamities and emergencies role, he added.
As of Tuesday, the NFA still has a buffer stock inventory of 195,000 bags as part of the province’s recent import allocation from Myanmar and Vietnam.
With the rice new tariffication law taking effect, the NFA can no longer import rice for distribution to local traders and retailers, said Canoy.
“The law is not yet fully implemented. There are still additional provisions, or maybe amendments, that will be included in the final version of the IRR,” Canoy added.
Under the law, NFA in Negros Occidental can no longer act on licensing and registration of persons and entities engaged in the grains business and collection of regulatory fees.
NFA is also prohibited to issue negotiable warehouse receipts, warehouse inspection and enforce rules and regulations in the grains business. (With PNA/PN)
