With no NFA rice at Balintawak Market, commercial rice prices go up by P1 to P2

No NFA rice were available at Balintawak Market in Quezon City on Wednesday, while prices of commercial rice have gone up by P1 to P2 per kilo, according to a report on Unang Balita by Vonne Aquino.

An accredited NFA rice retailer however said vendors are not attributing the price increase to the lack of supply of NFA rice.

Dinorado rice was selling at P55 per kilo, while sinandomeng rice was at P44 per kilo.

Jasmine rice was going at P46 per kilo, Magnolia rice at P44 per kilo, while Gold Cup rice was at P46 per kilo.

The accredited NFA rice retailer said they expect NFA rice to be available in June.

On Tuesday, NFA North District Office manager Arnel Alfonso said the supply of NFA rice in Metro Manila has already been consumed.

He also said his office had anticipated the lack of affordable NFA rice as early as November 2017.

Alfonso indicated that the NFA's importation of 250,000 metric tons or five million bags in September wasn't enough.

NFA Council spokesperson Assistant Secretary Jonas Soriano however said there could be a possibility of "mismanagement" with the supply of NFA rice, since rice stocks were sold in the fourth quarter of 2017 when it was harvest season.

NFA operations are currently being audited to determine how the agency ran out of stocks of NFA rice. —KG, GMA News