NFA targets procurement of 500,000 MT of palay for ongoing harvest season

The National Food Authority (NFA) said on Sunday that it is targeting to procure up to 500,000 metric tons (MT) of palay (unhusked rice) this ongoing harvest season.

“For this year, ang target actually natin ay 790,000 MT. Pero for this season lamang, itong anihan na ito, ito yung pinaka-peak na, eh minimum 500,000 MT ng palay ang gusto natin mabili,” said NFA administrator Larry Lacson in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB.

(For this year, our target is actually 790,000 MT. But for this season alone, this harvest season which is the peak, we want to buy a minimum of 500,000 MT of palay.)

But the NFA noted that it will continue to procure more palay as much as possible in order to meet the target of 790,000 MT before the year ends.

“Hangga't mayroon kaming bodega na mapaglalagyan bibili pa kami, hanggang sa maabot natin yung 790,000 MT,” said Lacson.

(As long as we have warehouses with space, we will keep buying until we reach 790,000 MT.)

The Department of Agriculture (DA) earlier directed the NFA to raise its minimum buying price for palay beginning the upcoming harvest season in September.

At present, the minimum buying price for dry palay ranges between P28 to P30.

“Para makuha natin yung ating ninanais na volume, tinaasan natin ang presyo ang bili ng palay. Ang pinakamababa na natin ay nasa P28 to P30 ang bili natin kada kilo ng malinis at tuyong palay,” said Lacson.

(In order for us to obtain our desired volume, we raised our palay buying price. Our minimum buying price for clean and dry palay is now at ₱28 to ₱30 per kilo.)

“Pinaghandaan natin ‘yan nang mabuti, nag-renta pa tayo ng ibang bodega para may paglagyan tayo sa volume na papasok,” he added.

(We prepared thoroughly for that; we even rented other warehouses so we would have storage for the incoming volume.)

Moreover, the NFA said that the country’s rice inventory is enough.

“Sa NFA, ang days to last ng stocks natin na nasa NFA bodegas, nasa 7 days buffer stock. It’s because pinaluwag yung mga bodega nga, nag-release tayo nang marami, nagpa-auction tayo….5.5 million bags ang katumbas nun,” said Lacson.

(At the NFA, the days-to-last of our stocks inside NFA warehouses is at a 7-day buffer stock. That is because the warehouses were cleared out—we released a lot and held auctions... that is equivalent to 5.5 million bags.)

“Kung national buffer stock, kasama na yung sa bahay, sa trader, sa miller, nasa 75 days ang buffer stock ng buong Pilipinas. Sa tingin ko, sapat na sapat,” he also said.

(For the national buffer stock—including households, traders, and millers—the buffer stock of the entire Philippines is at around 75 days. In my opinion, that is more than sufficient.) —RF, GMA News