NFA ready to distribute newly arrived rice from Vietnam

Imported rice has reached Philippine shores and will be ready for distribution in strategic areas beginning this month, the National Food Authority (NFA) said on Monday.

NFA Spokesperson Rex Estoperez said 220,000 sacks of NFA rice arrived at Subic Port and another 100,000 sacks in Surigao—all from Vietnam. “Pag natapos na ‘yung ating unloading, ididirecho natin sa mga probinsya na malalapit para mabilis ang turnaround.”

The rice shipment which arrived in Subic will be brought to nearby markets including Pampanga, Bataan, and Zambales.

Estoperez assured that Metro Manila will get its share—even the biggest chunk of NFA’s rice—but will have to wait a bit longer for its share.

The initial shipment to Metro Manila consists of 75,000 metric tons equivalent to 1.5 million sacks.

“Ang Metro Manila deficit area ‘yan. Wala silang production, lahat po distribution ‘yan. So ang kanilang allocation ay mas malaki,” Estoperez noted. 

Once it reaches the market, NFA rice will be sold at the same retail price of P27 per kilogram for regular milled rice and P32 for well-milled rice.

Under a government-to-government procurement contract, some 250,000 metric tons of NFA rice from Vietnam and Thailand will enter the Philippines to replenish the country’s buffer stock. 

Imported rice plays an important role in keeping prices stable and boosting the country’s much needed buffer stock now that harvest season is over.

“Mag uumpisa na ‘yung lean months where we need our buffer stock, dahil we have to stabilize the price at saka ‘yung supply sa merkado natin para hindi naman tumaas sobra ang ating commercial na presyo,” Estropez noted.

NFA is also looking at doubling the 30-day buffer stock to 60 days as instructed by President Rodrigo Duterte. 

“Sa July 1 dapat may 30 days tayo na gusto sana iincrease ng Presidente ... na gagawin nating 60 days instead of 30 days. So ‘yun ang tinatarget natin ngayon. Ang importante sa ‘tin meron tayong buffer stock pang stabilize ng market,” Estropez said. —VDS, GMA News