Former senator and senatorial candidate Kiko Pangilinan urged the national government on Thursday to immediately allow the National Food Authority (NFA) to release its overstocked buffer rice to help reduce market prices.

As a former food security czar, Pangilinan assured Occidental Mindoro farmers he met that he plans to discuss their rice surplus concerns with Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.

“This really needs a solution, and I think it’s up to the national level now. It should be elevated to the national level, to the DA secretary and NFA board chairman, for immediate intervention to resolve this problem,” he stressed.

He noted that the NFA warehouse in Occidental Mindoro still contains old rice stocks from 2023.

Pangilinan, principal author of the Sagip Saka Act enabling local government units to directly purchase from farmers, explained that NFA cannot release stocks due to Rice Tariffication Law restrictions.

However, with last month’s DA declaration of a rice food security emergency, he emphasized the need for immediate action.

“Since we’re in an emergency food crisis situation, the NFA should take urgent action to unload its stocks because their warehouses are now completely full,” he said

“It’s harvest season, and neither the farmers nor the NFA know where to bring this oversupply,” he added.