By Aerol B. Patena
Manila, (PNA) — Some 150 major players in the rice industry composed of farmers, rice mill owners, wholesalers, traders and retailers from Luzon and Visayas assured consumers that there is enough rice in the country.
The rice industry stakeholders representing various rice organizations from Regions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and the National Capital Region attended a dialogue with Agriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala, National Food Authority Administrator Orlan A. Calayag and other officials of the government held at the Conference Hall of the Bureau of Soils and Water Management Thursday, September 12, 2013 to attest government claims that the country has sufficient rice stocks.
Farmer-members from the national and regional Farmers Advisory Board and National Confederation of Irrigators Association from the rice-producing areas of Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon and Ilocos Region said that they are now starting to harvest their palay. They are requesting the government to consider an increase in the buying price of palay which remains at P 17/kg because of the additional price in farm inputs. They also asked NFA to ready their procurement budget and logistics with the start of the harvest season.
Farmers also appealed to Secretary Alcala to intervene on their behalf regarding the government’s anti-overloading campaign. They claimed that the implementation of the anti-overloading law have an adverse effect on the price of rice because of increased transport costs. The anti-overloading law is suspended until January 31, 2014.
On the other hand, various rice retailers’ groups from the Confederation of Grains Retailers Association of the Philippines (GRECON), Alliance of Grains Industry Stakeholders of the Philippines (AGRIS), Alyansa ng mga Industriya sa Bigas (ANIB) lauded the National Food Authority for the agency’s timely distribution strategies and the good quality of rice being sold in the market.
They said that there is enough supply of quality but affordable NFA rice in the market. They also appealed among their own ranks to be more socially responsible in distributing NFA rice as conduit of the government’s rice distribution program.
Administrator Calayag said the NFA is regularly assessing its distribution policies to address the current situation and assured that it is ready to release more rice stocks if necessary. However, he reiterated his warning to unscrupulous grains businessmen that they will be dealt with accordingly.
The rice industry multi-sector groups were unanimous in saying that they are against any person or groups orchestrating an artificial rice shortage and that they fully support the rice self-sufficiency program of the Department of Agriculture.