The agency has purchased a total of 4.67 million bags from October to November alone. #NFA

This rice farmer in Gerona, Tarlac prepares the field for planting on the day Malacañang clarified the importation of the staple even during the harvest season will continue. Analy Labor @tribunephl_ana

The National Food Authority (NFA) continues to buy palay from local farmers nationwide as the main harvest continues. As of November 20, the food agency has already procured a total of 11.52 million bags of palay from local farmers nationwide, mostly from Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Cagayan Valley regions.

According to NFA Administrator Judy Carol Dansal, the agency has never stopped buying palay. “We try to accommodate all farmers who sell their harvest. We have 642 buying stations which are strategically located across the country to accept their produce,” Dansal said.

Aside from the stationary buying stations, the NFA deploys mobile procurement in areas such as Ilocos Sur, Kalinga, Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Batangas, Camarines Norte, Masbate, Sorsogon, Antique, Southern Leyte, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur, Pagadian, Ipil, Sibugay, Zamboanga del Norte, Dipolog, Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, and Maguindanao to cater to farmers in far-flung areas.

The NFA administrator is confident the NFA will achieve its target of 14.46 million bags before the main harvest ends this year. “As of November 20, we have already achieved 80 percent of our target. The main crop traditionally yields 70 percent of the total annual production. Normally, we buy more from farmers during the last quarter of the year. We are hopeful, our target will be attainable,” Dansal said.

The daily average procurement rate is recorded at 125,754 bags per day.

Since the start of the main cropping season last September, more farmers have taken advantage of NFA’s support price of P19 per kilogram of palay. Based on NFA’s monitoring, the prevailing ex-farm prices of palay is recorded at P16.69 to P16.71. The NFA buys palay based on the Equivalent Net Weight Factor such as moisture content, purity and discoloration and damage of the palay.

Previously, the NFA buys palay from farmers at P17 per kilogram with additional P3 per kilo buffer stocking incentive, 20 centavos to 50 centavos delivery incentive, 20 centavo drying incentive and 30 centavo Cooperative Development Incentive Fund for cooperatives or farmers’ organizations.

During last year’s main crop procurement, the agency bought a total of 1.15 million bags from October to December 2018. So far, the agency has purchased a total of 4.67 million bags from October to November alone.