P3 ADDITIONAL NFA INCENTIVE
FOR RICE FARMERS HAILED
By Delon Porcalla
Philippine Star
A ranking administration lawmaker lauded the decision of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA) to increase the buying price of clean and dry palay by as much as P3 per kilo.
“It is a welcome relief for farmers who are worried about the effects of the government’s decision to lift the quantitative restriction for the importation of rice,” Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said.
Nograles, chairman of the appropriations committee of the House of Representatives, hailed President Rodrigo Duterte for placing the National Food Authority (NFA) under the DA.
Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol’s first directive was to increase the NFA’s buying price of clean and dry palay from local farmers, he said.
At the same time, Nograles urged the NFA now to “exclusively buy locally produced rice for its buffer stocks in order to prevent the economic dislocation of tens of thousands of Filipino rice farmers.”
Nograles noticed the last time the NFA had increased its buying price of palay from local farmers was in 2008, or 10 years ago. Since then, the NFA has given preference to rice importation to fill up its buffer stocks.
“Now at least, the NFA’s mandate is finally in sync with the mandate of the DA which is to provide support for our farmers to increase agricultural productivity,” Nograles said.
He added the nationwide adjustment of the buying price of palay would cover 37 provinces.
Last week, Piñol signed the Memorandum Circular implementing the Buffer Stock Incentive, which increases the NFA’s buying of clean and dry palay to P20.70 per kilo from its previous rate of P17.70 per kilo.
(Photos by Biyaheng Bukid team, DA-AFID)
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