Goodbye fake “Dinorado!”

NFA TO STOP MISLABELLING,

RICE OVERPRICING IN MARKET

By Manny Piñol

On Monday, October 8, the National Food Authority (NFA) Council will hold a special meeting to address very urgent measures, including the mislabelling and overpricing of rice in the market.

The NFA Council will also set guidelines on the proper identification of imported rice and local rice in the market to protect the consumers.

For so long, rice outlets in the public markets and even supermarkets have been involved in the mislabelling of rice to justify the high prices.

“Sinandomeng,” “Angelica,” “Jasmine” and “Dinorado” are among the common names given to commercial rice sold in the market at prices as high as P55 to P60 per kilo.

The truth is, aside from “Dinorado” and “Jasmine,” there is no such thing as “Sinandomeng” or “Angelica” rice varieties.

Worse, the “Dinorado” and “Jasmine” sold in the market are not the real rice varieties, thus the retailers are guilty of deception and unfair trade practice.

On Monday, I will ask the NFA Council to act on this age-old problem and put an end to it.

I will submit to the NFAC a proposal that henceforth, rice sold in the market should only be labelled as Regular Milled Rice, Well-Milled Rice, Long Grain Head Rice and Special Rice which would include Heirloom and Organic Rice.

I will also ask the NFAC to issue guidelines on the proper identification of Imported Rice and Local Rice.

It will be recommended that the NFA licenses of traders and retailers who will violate these proposed guidelines will be cancelled.

Other matters which will be taken up during the next NFAC meeting include:

1. Introduction of the Rice-Corn Mix staple in the NFA outlets and the procurement by NFA of White Corn Grits or White Corn Grains;

2. Start of NFA buying operations of locally produced paddy rice at P17 per kilo plus additional incentives valued at P3 per kilo;

3. Installation by the Department of Agriculture of drying facilities in the NFA buying stations to be used for free by farmers who will sell their produce to the NFA.

The NFA Council meeting on Monday will be the second to be convened after the NFA, along with the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) and the Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority (FPA), was placed under the Department of Agriculture.

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