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SENATOR VILLAR SAYS

No rice supply shortage; probe on NFA’s failure starts Feb 27


Filipinos should not panic over the alleged short supply of rice in the country as there is enough rice, a senator said Sunday. 

Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, told Super Radyo dzBB that, "hindi nagkukulang ang suplay ng bigas, ang National Food Authority ang nag kukulang." 

Villar also said that  the Senate probe into the low buffer stock of NFA rice and the agency's role in ensuring the stability of the price of the staple will begin on February 27, a senator said Sunday.

Senator Cynthia Villar, chairperson of the Senate committee on agriculture and food, earlier filed Senate Resolution 608 seeking an inquiry on the status of NFA rice supply and its mandate on buffer stocking for food security and stabilization.

Officials from NFA and its council as well as key officials in the Department of Agriculture, Department of Budget and Management and Department of Finance will be invited to the hearing, Villar said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

According tho her, the "problem" lies in the NFA's failure to fulfill its mandate as the low buffer stock also happened twice last year, adding that the agency should have gone to provinces where farmers offer cheaper rice to replenish the current buffer stock which is said to be enough for only two days.

The NFA is required by the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to maintain a 15-day buffer stock at any given time and 30 days at the onset of the lean months of July to September.

"Kaya nga dapat ang NFA pupunta siya sa mga lugar na mura ang bigas kasi hindi naman lahat ng bigas sa buong Pilipinas ay mahal, kasi may mga lugar na mura like sinasabi nga sa Antique daw P10 to P12 lang per kilo, sa Bicol daw P14, sa Palawan daw P13, so ang mandate ng NFA hanapin niya kung saan mura ang palay at doon siya mamili para tulungan niya yung mga magsasaka na maipagbili at P17 yung kanilang palay," Villar said.

"Kaya nga po maghi-hearing tayo dito para tanungin natin sila once and for all, and at the same time kailangan din namin sila makausap kasi we will be transitioning from quantitative restriction ng rice to tariffication." 

The country's quantitative restriction on rice expired in June 2017, a measure that allows the government to limit the volume of rice imports.

"Under tariffication, pwede nang mag-import lahat at walang llimit basta magbabayad sila ng tariff. Under this condition, baka hindi na kailangan mag-import ng NFA, wala na sa mandate nila mamimili na lang sila sa local," Villar said.

She also advised NFA to refrain from making public announcements regarding their low buffer stock as it will create panic that there is rice shortage.

For his part, Senator Francis Pangilinan, former chair of the Senate agriculture and food panel, said it is important to look into the "shortfalls" of the rice supply.

"Ano ba ang naging produksyon ng palay at bigas nung nakaraang taon at ano ang shortfall, dahil hindi naman tayo 100 percent sufficient. Ang alam nating consumption ng bigas every year would be around 12 million metric tons. So how much did we produce?" Pangilinan said in a separate Super Radyo dzBB interview.

Pangilinan likewise said it is crucial for the government to ensure the 15-day buffer stock which could be used in times of emergencies or calamities.

"Iba yung consumption, iba yung calamity requirements ng bigas. Yung consumption, ang average yata per capita is 115 kilos per year. E 100 plus million na tayo. So that's almost 12 million metric tons of rice annually na kino-consume natin. Hindi pa kasama diyan yung buffer," he said.

"Ibig sabihin ng buffer, kapag nagkaroon ng trahedya, maglalabas ka ng bigas. Hindi yan kasama sa consumption, yan ay dahil may trahedya, meron kang panlabas," he added.

NFA has decided to temporarily discontinue supplying NFA rice to accredited retailers due to low supply, as it has only two days worth of buffer stock, with the agency prioritizing its distribution to calamity victims and stockpiling for islands at greater risk of natural disasters. 

Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol has already belied reports that the country is suffering from rice shortage and blamed carters for allegedly "maneuvering" rice prices in the market.

The NFA, meanwhile, has already secured the approval of President Rodrigo Duterte to import an additional 250,000 metric tons of rice to replenish the buffer stock.

The NFA council will meet on Monday to decide on the details of the importation. —with a report from Erwin Colcol/LBG, GMA News 

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