Better quality of NFA rice attracts more consumers — Piñol

There is greater demand for NFA rice at the moment because of its improved quality, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said Thursday.

"The NFA only has a 10-percent market participation, meaning we cannot provide rice for the whole market. But the reason why people are asking for NFA rice right now is because of the good quality of the rice," Piñol said in Tina Panganiban-Perez's report on 24 Oras on Thursday.

In Pasig City Mega Market, the NFA rice supply has been depleted.

"Wala pong dating sa ngayon. Last week pa po wala," rice vendor Marrian Baybin said.

In its absence, the market-goers had to buy commercial rice.

"Nagtitiyaga na lang, bibili na lang ng dalawang kilo, isang kilo. Para ano, 'pag may NFA na, bibili kami ulit," Amarodin Mama said.

The situation, however, was different in Kamuning Market and Mega Q Mart, where NFA rice is available.

Piñol said that there was no shortage of the state-subsidized rice, with supply still enough for 45 days nationwide.

The market entry of 47,000 metric tons of imported rice has started, Piñol added, with the importation of another 500,000 metric tons recently approved.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, cuts on the wholesale and retail prices of rice were observed in the first week of November.

The farm gate price of palay also went down.

Piñol said farmers will nott be at a disadvantage because the department had set a specific support price for palay.

Some economic experts claim that price cuts for commercial rice are more likely to take place once the rice tariffication bill gets enacted.

On Thursday, the Bicameral Conference Committee approved the bill, which will allow unlimited importation of rice as long as private sector traders secure a phytosanitary permit from the Bureau of Plant Industry and pay the tariff for shipments from neighbors in Southeast Asia.

Senator Cynthia Villar said part of the funds will go to mechanization programs which aim to enhance local rice production.

"Kaya nga merong rice competitiveness enhancement fund because we analyzed why they are not competitive. Mahal ang kanilang labor cost. We are going to mechanize, so 5 billion of the 10 billion will go to mechanization so that they can compete," Villar said. — Dona Magsino/BM, GMA News