NIA will sell P29/kilo in August, official says

The National Irrigation Administration will be selling P29 per kilogram of rice in the Kadiwa stores in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao two months from now, its administrator said on Tuesday.

In a Palace briefing, NIA Administrator Engr. Eduardo Eddie G. Guillen said the initiative is the result of a collaborative effort between the agency and its irrigators’ associations.

"So, as for us at NIA, we also have a major project right now – our contract farming. And with that, we estimate that we can sell at around P29, and for us, that will be by August," Guillen said.

"We have around 100 million kilos of rice projected to be produced by August. That is the target of the DA (Department of Agriculture), that's our target as well. The DA says they'll have supplies by July, but for NIA, it's by August, with the P29 rice," he added.

The NIA chief mentioned that each family could buy 10 kilos of rice in Kadiwa centers.

Guillen also highlighted the ongoing efforts in contract farming, which are set to provide affordable rice to the market, which aligns with the Department of Agriculture’s target.

"We have around 100 million kilos of rice projected to be produced by August. That is the target of the DA (Department of Agriculture), that's our target as well. The DA says they'll have supplies by July, but for NIA, it's by August, with the P29 rice," Guillen added.

Guillen reassured that the supply of affordable rice would be sustained through the continued cooperation between NIA, irrigators’ associations, and the Department of Agriculture.

During his presidential campaign, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilo.