DA moves to avert rice crisis

The Department of Agriculture (DA) opened on Saturday its DA TienDA Bigasan ng Masa to address the rice shortage in Zamboanga and to stabilize prices of the grains in the province.

Prices of commercial rice had risen in Zamboanga significantly because of insufficient supply as the government put a lid on smuggled rice that caused a rice crisis in Zamboanga City, including the provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi in southern Mindanao where prices reached P70 per kilo, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol said.

“For many years, these areas have relied on smuggled rice from Vietnam and Thailand which was brought into the country via Sabah, Malaysia,” Piñol said, adding the crisis might spread to other areas if the government will not put a stop to smuggling rice to meet the local demand.

He said the Bigasan ng Masa is located in front of the DA offices in Zamboanga, with freshly-milled rice sold at P32 per kilo and NFA (National Food Authority) rice at P27 per kilo.

To further augment rice supply in the region, the agriculture chief said commercial rice from private traders in Northern Mindanao, Caraga Region, Davao Region and Central Mindanao Region would be delivered to affected areas but sold at slightly higher prices.

However, Piñol said the DA would only sell a maximum of five kilos of NFA rice per family while the freshly-milled rice will have a cap of three kilos per family. Consumers can buy commercial rice without limit.

The NFA will provide 100,000 bags of rice for Zamboanga City; 30,000 bags for Basilan; 30,000 bags for Sulu and 30,000 bags for Tawi-Tawi.

Meanwhile, NFA Administrator Jason Aquino sought help from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct warehouse inspection nationwide to stop traders from engaging in illegal rice trade and price manipulation.

Aquino said the agency is intensifying its fight against rice traders who are illegally re-bagging and diverting NFA rice to be sold as commercial rice for a higher price. He appointed NFA National Capital Region Director Carlito Co as focal person to coordinate with the NBI in targeting rice hoarders. With Raymart T. Lolo