NFA eyes additional imports of 400,000 MT

The National Food Authority’s highest decision-making body is considering to import an additional 400,000 tons of milled rice from Vietnam, double the volume that was previously announced. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/RAFFY LERMA

The National Food Authority’s highest decision-making body is considering to import an additional 400,000 tons of milled rice from Vietnam, double the volume that was previously announced.

Additional imports on top of the 800,000 tons that were bought last April was on the table in Tuesday’s NFA Council meeting as the intensified release of NFA rice into the market threatened to deplete the agency’s inventory.

According to the Philippine Statistical Authority, the NFA was holding as of June 1 only 1.08 million tons or 12 days’ worth of supply.

The NFA is responsible for maintaining a buffer stock that should last half a month, which, at a national consumption rate of 34,000 MT a day, was about 500,000 MT.

Secretary Francis Pangilinan, presidential assistant for food security and agriculture modernization, earlier ordered the NFA to double the daily release of milled rice to 25,800 sacks from 12,500 sacks amid rising prices of commercially available rice.

The NFA sells regular-milled rice at P27 a kilo as well as well-milled rice at P32 a kilo.

In Pasig City alone, the NFA put up an additional 12 outlets to bring the total to 14 accredited retailers.

The move is part of efforts to temper prices as commercial well-milled rice now commands P45 a kilo in the city and nearby areas.

According to the NFA, it now has a total of 173 accredited NFA outlets in the cities of Pasig of and Marikina and the adjacent areas of Rizal province. These outlets account for an average 3,500 bags of NFA rice daily.

The recent onslaught of Typhoon “Glenda” did not help the NFA’s inventory-keeping as it released 7,500 sacks to evacuation areas, but also lost at least 13,000 sacks due to damaged warehouses.

The NFA said in a situation report that it kept open its warehouses at the height of Glenda’s rampage to provide supplies to affected communities, especially in Ilocos, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Metro Manila.

Worst-hit Bicol received the biggest portion of the emergency rice supply with 5,800 sacks while Eastern Visayas got about 2,000 sacks. Ilocos received 100 sacks while Southern Tagalog had 120 sacks and Metro Manila, 170 sacks.