Proposed dismantling of NFA opposed

Despite the National Food Authority’s (NFA) failure to fulfill its mandate to stabilize the supply and prices of rice in the market, a coalition of industry groups are opposing the proposal of some lawmakers to dismantle the agency.

In a joint statement released to the media, the National Farmer Federation, Pambansang Kaisahan ng Magbubukid sa Pilipinas, Pambansang Katipunan ng Makabayang Magbubukid, Katipunan ng Bagong Pilipina, Pambansang Katipunan ng mga Samahan sa Kanayunan, Pangisda, Amma-K, Makabayan, Aktib and Integrated Rural Development Foundation called on the government to rethink the agency’s functions instead of dissolving it.

“Policymakers who see the increases in rice prices as an opportunity to dismantle the NFA is barking at the wrong tree and maybe penalizing the farmers and poor consumers in the end,” the statement read.

“Those who demand for its dismantling under a post-QR regime will only help the private sector take over the country’s rice importation,” it added.

The coalition is asking relevant government agencies to conduct an investigation of rice traders who are allegedly involved in the hoarding and overpricing of commercial rice.

During a House hearing on Tuesday, Rep. Benhur Lopez named 13 rice traders who allegedly controlled the prices of rice in Metro Manila.

The committee has ordered the attendance of these rice traders in the next hearing to explain their alleged involvement in the manipulation of rice prices.

Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, prices of rice continued to shoot up due to the absence of NFA rice in the market. The average retail prices of regular milled and well-milled rice have now gone up to P39.01 per kilo and P42.83 per kilo from P38.77 and P42.59 a week ago, respectively.

Moreover, the coalition joins the call of other lawmakers to increase NFA’s buying price for palay to at least P20 a kilo from the current price of P17 per kilo.

The NFA must procure at least 10 percent of the country’s total palay harvest to reinforce its buffer stock—a mandate that it has not been able to fulfill for the past years.

The agency has yet to make a plan on how it would be able to replenish the supply of subsidized rice in the market.