NFA Administrator directed: PURGE COOPS LIST OF “FAKES,” PROSECUTE ERRING WORKERS

Yesterday, I saw posts on Facebook by farmer leaders in Central Luzon who are personally known to me showing photos of big trucks delivering palay to National Food Authority buying stations in several areas.

The farmer leaders claimed that inactive cooperatives are now being used by traders to be able to sell paddy rice to the NFA which is buying farmers produce at higher price.

Traders in Central Luzon are buying fresh palay at P15 per kilo while NFA is buying clean and dry palay at P17 with an incentive of P3.70 per kilo for cooperatives and associations.

In view of this, I have issued a memorandum initially relayed through SMS to Acting NFA Administrator Tomas Escares.

MR. TOMAS ESCARES

Acting Administrator

National Food Authority

Following complaints backed up by photos that traders are using bogus farmers’ cooperatives to sell palay to NFA buying stations in huge volume, you are directed to undertake the following actions:

1. Investigate specific incidents reported and determine the involvement of NFA officials;

2. Validate the legitimacy of farmers cooperatives by coordinating with the Municipal Agriculture Office in checking their actual production area;

3. Purge the listing of coops allowed to deliver to the NFA by checking the history of their activities and flagging inactive coops which were suddenly resurrected.

4. Initiate the filing of administrative sanctions against erring NFA employees because buying palay from traderd violates the provisions of the Rice Tariffication Law which directs the NFA to buy only ftom local farmers.

Please provide feedback on actions taken ASAP.

Thank you.

MANNY PIÑOL

Secretary of Agriculture

Chair, NFA Council

(Photos were downloaded from the Facebook post of farmer Danilo Arcales Bolos.)