Bad weather delaying delivery of NFA rice, says spokesman

National Food Authority (NFA) spokesperson and Region III director Rex Estoperez on Thursday said inclement weather continues to prevent the delivery of NFA rice from ports to markets.

"Talagang hindi natin maiwasan 'yun," Estoperez said in an interview on Dobol B sa News TV. "Ganun rin sa Metro Manila at yung mga puerto na tinatamaan ng bagyo, itong sunod-sunod na bagyo."

Adverse weather preventing the distribution of rice caused a scarcity in markets for NFA rice despite almost 100 percent of all rice imported under government-to-government deals already delivered to the country.

Estoperez said rice stocks are slowly being unloaded to relieve rice shortages and relief operations.

"Parang nakaw lang ginagawa namin. Kapag maliwanag ang panahon, kami nagbababa. Pero sana kung tuloy-tuloy itong pag-araw na 'to, diretso po nating mabababa 'yan," he said.

The NFA announced mid-June that cheaper and better quality rice would be available soon but their arrival has not lowered the cost of commercial rice due to the limited quantity the agency was able to take out from shipments.

"Ang sinasabi namin, wala tayo sa volume na na-saturate natin yung market, kaya hindi talaga bababa ang presyo ng private sector, ng commercial," Estoperez explained.

A new shipment of 250,000 MT of rice from the open bidding held by the government will arrive by August.

"Kung kukulangin tayo, mag-import, dahil sabi naman ng ating pangulo di bale yung sumobra, wag lang tayo kumulang," Estoperez said. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News