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Manila Bulletin devider Business devider DA seen to declare food security emergency for rice on Tuesday

DA seen to declare food security emergency for rice on Tuesday

Published Jan 31, 2025 05:31 am

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is targeting Tuesday, Feb. 4, for the declaration of a food security emergency for rice amid persistently high prices of the staple Filipino food.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said the agency is in receipt of the National Price Coordinating Council’s (NPCC) resolution recommending the declaration.

“Natanggap na ng opisina ko kahapon while I was still in the US (United States), ‘yung resolution that I have to sign as part of the board. Then, by Tuesday malamang we will declare the rice emergency,” Laurel told reporters on Friday, Jan. 31.

[My office received the resolution yesterday while I was still in the US, which I have to sign as part of the board. Then, by Tuesday, we will most likely be declaring the rice emergency.]

Laurel said the following day, on Wednesday, will likely see the start of the National Food Authority’s (NFA) rollout of its rice buffer stock.

He added that he will be meeting with the NFA, Food Terminal Inc. (FTI), and Kadiwa ng Pangulo (KNP) to deliberate on plans regarding the implementation of the food emergency.

Following the declaration, the DA projects stability in rice prices in the market as the NFA sells rice through KNP stores, local government units (LGUs), and other government agencies.

The NFA currently holds 300,000 metric tons of rice in buffer stocks.

Releasing these reserves is expected to help decongest warehouses in preparation for the upcoming February harvest.

“[The declaration] is very welcome dahil mababawasan na ang mga laman ng warehouses at matutuwa na rin ang ating mga farmers na makakabili na ang NFA ng bigas mula sa kanila dahil mayro’n nang paglalagyan,” said Laurel, chairman of the NFA Council.

[The declaration is very welcome because it will reduce the stock in warehouses, and our farmers will also be pleased that the NFA can now buy rice from them since there will be storage space available.]

With the upcoming rice harvest season, the NFA is set to procure palay or unmilled rice at P23 per kilo.

Aside from keeping prices stable, the DA chief said the food emergency declaration could also trigger lower prices.

“Releasing 300,000 tons of rice to the market within six months, I think, will soften the market at hopefully bumaba nang kaunti pa ‘yung presyo ng bigas [hopefully bring down the price of rice a little further],” he added.

While there are still no concrete plans for the rollout of NFA’s stocks, Laurel said the priority will be areas near warehouses to minimize freight costs.

Related Tags

National Food Authority (NFA) Rice prices Department of Agriculture (DA)
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