Sans 97 silos, rice enough — DA

SCIENCE CITY OF MUÑOZ, Nueva Ecija — The Department of Agriculture (DA) said Wednesday that the operations of some 97 warehouses of the National Food Authority (NFA) are still halted amid the ongoing investigation on the agency’s alleged anomalous rice sale to certain private traders.

Despite this, Agriculture Secretary Tiu Laurel Jr. assured the public that the NFA’s procurement of palay from local farmers wouldn’t be affected.

“Also, with the high price of rice now that the traders are buying, the NFA did not buy too much because the buying price of the NFA was still set [in] January or February up to P23. Today’s buying price by traders [is] anywhere from P27 to P30,” he told reporters during the Food Security Cluster Communication Workshop in PhilRice, Science City Muñoz, Nueva Ecija.

He added the NFA has enough rice buffer stock to meet local demands.

“As of the moment, the NFA has bought a certain amount, so there are stocks available, and it’s harvest season, as we all know. [It] will continue until May, so there are enough stocks.”

He added: “In the report to me on the importations of rice, the quantities that arrive are regular and sufficient for the requirements of our country.”