Rice shortage experienced only in Zambasulta area —Piñol

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol on Monday clarified that it was only in the Zamboanga, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi (Zambasulta) area — and not in the entire country — where there is rice shortage.

Piñol, who is facing resignation calls from lawmakers amid the supposed rice crisis, made the clarification amid the issue of rice crisis that the country is facing.

"In Zambasulta area, yes (may rice shortage). But this is being addressed by the NFA (National Food Authority)," Piñol told reporters in an ambush interview at the House of Representatives.

According to Piñol, the province of Tawi-Tawi only had about 12 days of buffer stock of rice when he visited the area.

In Patikul, Sulu, meanwhile, the buffer stock was only good for six days, he added.

But Piñol said he has already presented an immediate plan to the NFA to supply rice to the area, tapping naval vessels to deliver the staple food there.

"Right now, nagpapadala na ang NFA ng additional rice stocks," he said.

While there is no rice shortage in the National Capital Region, Piñol admitted that there is a spike in rice prices in the market in the metro because of "speculation."

"Dahil nga nawala yung NFA rice sa merkado nang matagal, na-delay din yung arrival ng imported rice, kaya nag-spike talaga, pumasok yung mga speculators," he said.

Piñol said he expects the prices of rice to stabilize by November when the harvest season starts and when the more then 700,000 metric tons of imported rice come in.

The Cabinet official said that while the Department of Agriculture does not cover the NFA, his agency had to step in because the issue at hand is on rice availability.

"Because at the end of the day, when people are angry, they will not differentiate DA from NFA or NFA from Malacañang. They will blame the government," he said.

"As a responsible government official, I believe that it was right for me to step up to the plate and assume some kind of responsibility," Piñol added. —KBK, GMA News