MANILA, Philippines—The National Food Authority said demand for government rice remained high in the first quarter despite improved rice supply due to harvests.

“The government gives consumers a wide array of choices and varieties of rice that suit their budget. This and the assurance of available supply have greatly influenced their preference,” NFA Administrator Jessup Navarro said in a statement.

The agency said it had sold 2.3 million bags of rice in January; 2.9 million bags in February, and 3.7 million bags in March.

NFA rice is sold for P18.25 per kilogram in Tindahan Natin (TN) rice outlets, which cater exclusively to families with Family Access Card issued by the Department of Social Welfare and Development or included in the TN’s Rice Allocation Ledger in the regions.

NFA also sells P25-per-kg commercial grade rice, P28 per kg for rice with 15 percent broken rice content and P32 for the high end-variety with a maximum broken rice content of 5 percent.

The NFA distributes rice through its 23,414 market outlets. These include TN outlets, Institutionalized Bigasan sa Palengke, Bigasan sa Barangay rice outlets operated by local government units and legislators, and Tindahan sa Parokya operated by religious organizations and community-based groups.

The agency’s rice inventory as of the first week of May was 1.095 million tons. This was enough to meet the country’s rice requirement for 31 days, based on the country’s daily requirement of 35,000 metric tons.