IMPORTED: P39 & P43;
LOCAL RICE: P39 & P44
By Manny Piñol
Starting Oct. 27, government will enforce Suggested Retail Prices (SRP) for both imported and locally produced rice with the lowest at P39 per kilo and the highest at P47 per kilo.
The National Food Authority (NFA) will also require rice retailers to properly identify the rice sold whether it was sourced from countries like Vietnam, Thailand or Pakistan or produced in the Philippines.
The use of fancy names like “Senandomeng,” “Super Angelica,” “Yummy Rice,” and others will no longer be allowed.
Rice sold will only be classified as “Regular Milled,” “Well-Milled,” “Premium” and “Special Rice.”
In the consultation with Rice Industry stakeholders in the Department of Agriculture office in Quezon City earlier today, the following Suggested Retail Prices were set:
– Imported Rice Regular Milled (25% Broken) – P39 per kilo or lower;
-Imported Rice Premium (5% Broken) – P43 per kilo or lower;
– Philippine Rice Regular Milled – P39 per kilo or lower;
– Philippine Rice Well-Milled – P44 per kilo or lower;
– Philippine Rice Premium -P47 per kilo;
– Special Rice which includes Cordillera Heirloom Rice, Dinorado, Malido, Hinumay, Milagrosa, Organic Brown, Red and Black Rice, and Malagkit will be exempt from the SRP.
The SRPs set yesterday will initially apply to Metro Manila and suburbs, including the nearby provinces of Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog.
The SRPs for Northern Luzon, Southern Luzon, Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao will be set by the NFA Council on Tuesday.
Also expected to be decided on Tuesday will be the SRPs for Supermarkets.
During the consultations, it was agreed that the SRPs could change depending on world market prices for imported rice and other factors for the Philippine Rice.
The agreed SRPs will be submitted to the NFA Council when it meets for the third in less than a month since the NFA was transferred back to the DA.
With the confirmation of the NFA Council, the NFA will prepare the guidelines to be distributed and circulated or published in the newspapers for general information.
Posters and billboards will also be displayed in the rice retailing areas of the public markets.
On Oct. 27, officials and pernnel of the DA, DTI and NFA, backed by law enforcement groups will tour the public markets to ensure the implementation of the SRP and the labelling.
Rice traders found violating the guidelines on SRP and labelling will face sanctions, including cancellation of their NFA License to engage in rice trading.
(Photos taken by Larry Nuestro, DA-AFID)
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