MANILA – Some individuals are taking advantage of the prices of vegetables, according to Agriculture secretary Manny Piñol.
“We are not short of anything, ang problema natin is positioning of food,” Piñol said in an interview.
Piñol made the remark during his meeting with officials from the National Food Authority (NFA) Council and governors from various provinces on Monday.
He said cheap vegetables would be sold in the agency and at the Bureau of Plant Industry this coming Friday and Saturday.
In the same meeting, the Agriculture chief bared that the NFA Council has approved the importation of 500,000 metric tons of rice on top of the previously announced 250,000 metric tons.
He said some rice traders are not releasing the stocks of rice to the market resulting in the increase of the price of rice.
“Alam niyo kung anong mali, ang importers na pribado, pinapayagan na magdala rito ng first class na bigas. Ngayon ang ginagawa nila dahil magandang klaseng bigas, pagdating sa pamilihan binebenta nila ng 55 hanggang 58. So instead na makatulong ‘yung importasyon lalong magmamahal ang presyo ng bigas,” Piñol said.
Piñol also said the council approved the standby importation of P1 million metric tons for 2019. (GMA News)
