NFA: Palay procurement barely half of 790K MT target for 2026

The National Food Authority (NFA) admitted on Sunday that it has procured barely half of its 790,000 metric ton target for palay (unhusked rice) this year to sustain the national rice buffer stock.

"Ang target natin sa kabuuan ng taon ay nasa 790,000 metric tons. So mahigit 15 million na bags. Sa ngayon ang ating nabibili, wala pang two million, so meaning marami pa tayong hahabulin. Kumbaga nasa roughly 22%, 23% palang tayo ng dapat nating bilhin," said NFA Administrator Larry Lacson in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB.

(Our target for the entire year is around 790,000 metric tons. So over 15 million bags. Right now, what we have bought is not even two million, which means we still have a lot to catch up on. In other words, we are only at roughly 22% or 23% of what we ought to buy.)

The NFA head said that the rainy weather is one of the factors that affected their palay procurement.

"’Yung mga magsasaka na umaani, hindi makapagpatuyo ng palay. Napupwersa sila na ibenta kaagad. Sa amin sa National Food Authority, we are still building our capacity to dry, naging limited yung ating nabibili sa ngayon sa mga nauunang mga ani," said Lacson.

(The farmers who are harvesting cannot dry their palay. They are forced to sell it immediately. For us at the National Food Authority, as we are still building our capacity to dry, what we can buy right now from the early harvests has been limited.)

"Kumbaga ‘yung target namin for the month of August, hindi naman na-hit dahil maulan, hindi nakakaabot sa amin ‘yung mga palay na binebenta ng ating mga magsasaka," he added.

(In other words, our target for the month of August was not met because it was rainy, and the palay being sold by our farmers wasn't reaching us.)

Further, the NFA noted that the wet weather forced farmers to sell their palay at cheap prices.

"Kunwari nag-mature na at maulan, imbes na magandang presyo, nababarat na ng mga trader at ahente sa baba 'yan. Una, basang basa...Tapos yung kawalan ng dryer is a factor na kailangan ibenta nila," said Lacson.

(For example, if it has matured and it is rainy, instead of getting a good price, local traders and agents lowball them. First, it's soaking wet... Then the lack of a dryer is a factor in why they need to sell.)

The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier directed the NFA to raise its minimum buying price for palay beginning the upcoming harvest season in September. The minimum buying price for wet palay is set at P21 per kilo.

Despite the hurdles, the NFA assured that the country's rice buffer stock will be unaffected.

"Hindi naman (maaapektuhan). Una, we are coming off from a very good buffer stock nung nakaraang taon, 12 days. Pinapaspasan pa natin ‘yung paglabas ng bigas natin through Benteng Bigas para at least makapag-accumulate pa tayo ng maraming free spaces para sa aning ito," said Lacson.

(Not really. First, we are coming off a very good buffer stock from last year, which was 12 days. We are also expediting the release of our rice through Benteng Bigas so that we can at least accumulate more free space for this harvest.)

"Sa ngayon, ang buffer stock natin kung susumahin ay nasa eight days. Lagi kong sinasabi na yung eight days, nine days ay marami 'yan," he added.

(Right now, our buffer stock in total is at eight days. I always say that eight days or nine days is a lot.) —RF, GMA News