MANILA, Philippines – A month after the Department of Agriculture (DA) declared a food emergency on rice, it has yet to sell enough National Food Authority (NFA) rice to free up warehouses.
Since the declaration, only San Juan City has sold NFA rice it bought from DA. The city is selling at P1,650 per sack, equivalent to P33 per kilo.
DA spokesman Arnel de Mesa acknowledged the bureaucratic process that comes with the transaction between the national agency and local governments (LGU).
“[W]e respect that procedure,” De Mesa told reporters Wednesday, May 5. “Kaya naglabas na ulit ng panibagong apila ang NFA at ang DA sa ating mga LGUs na ma-facilitate agad itong ganitong klaseng bureaucratic process para ma-ensure na ma-release.”
(That’s why NFA and DA released another appeal to our LGUs to facilitate immediately this kind of bureaucratic process to ensure prompt release.)
Last week, NFA Administrator Larry Lacson urged LGUs to expedite pullout of rice stocks.
“This will open up space in our warehouses, allowing us to procure more palay and ensure that farmers aren’t at the mercy of traders pushing down prices,” said Lacson on February 28.
NFA has to free up warehouses and make space for its target purchase of 880,000 metric tons of palay, the new buffer stocks level according to the amended Rice Tariffication Law.
De Mesa said the long term goal is to revise the law again and allow NFA to sell its rice stocks without the DA having to declare a food emergency.
“In the long run, maganda pa rin na ma-amenda ‘yung current na Rice Tariffication Law to really allow NFA to sell directly or to intervene directly sa market without the need for any emergency declaration or any limitation sa kanyang mandato,” he said.
(In the long run, it would be good to amend the current Rice Tariffication Law to really allow NFA to sell directly or to intervene directly in the market without the need for any emergency declaration or any limitation in its mandate.)
The government declared a food emergency under the pretense of curbing high rice prices and freeing up overwhelmed NFA warehouses. Only under such an emergency can the NFA release rice stocks in the absence of a calamity or without waiting for the aging period.
Other government interventions to lower prices include setting a maximum suggested retail price on imported rice and cutting down tariffs.
To follow San Juan in pullout of rice stocks are Navotas, Cotabato, and Camarines Sur, the NFA said.
– Rappler.com