DA, NFA strategize local palay procurement in WV

PRESS RELEASE

Executives of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Food Authority (NFA) here in Western Visayas brainstormed on the strategies to be employed to boost the local palay procurement.

“DA has interventions for NFA’s palay procurement. Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol had set some proactive measures once the Rice Tariffication Act is passed,” said DA Regional Executive Director Remelyn R. Recoter during a meeting held on January 24 in Iloilo City.

She added that DA has 24 rice processing centers (RPCs) and one Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)-funded rice processing complex across the region: Aklan- 2; Antique- 4; Capiz-4; Iloilo-9; Guimaras-1; and Negros Occidental-5.

“The NFA provincial managers will validate these processing centers for possible use as
buying stations or pick up points for the drying, milling, and storage services,” Recoter
explained.

After the field validation and results analysis, the DA and NFA will discuss plans with the farmers’ associations and cooperatives managing the RPCs.

On the other hand, NFA regional manager John Robert Hermano mentioned that they have a target of 655,000 bags of rice for buffer stocking this 2019. “We still need 15 mobile drying units to hit our goal,” said Hermano.

The DA had already turned over two units of mobile dryer last year to NFA Iloilo Provincial
Office. The remaining 13 units are on the process of procurement with public bidding scheduled this February 6.

DA has available service trucks which will augment NFA’s operations this coming dry harvest season.

“Reports from the field showed that the bulk of harvest of about 77 percent of the area
planted will be from February to March 2019,” she added.

Piñol, who led the Visayas Food Security Summit last Oct. 9, 2018, said that with DA’s
provision of dryers in every palay buying station.

The Department will also provide incentives to participating farmers groups.

“Farmers associations or cooperatives who will sell their palay to NFA will be prioritized in
the granting of the Production Loan Easy Access loan of up to P50,000, provision of farm machinery, and even solar-powered irrigation,” the agri chief said.

NFA will buy farmers’ produce at P17 per kilo plus an incentive of P3.50 per kilo if the palay
being sold by a farmers’ group or cooperative is clean and dry, and has below 14 percent
moisture content.

“Provincial managers of NFA will be invited as resource persons in the DA radio programs in all provinces for the wide dissemination of the agency’s buying price set up to P20.70 per kilo. We are yet to finalize the mechanics for each (incentive) programs to intensify the local palay procurement,” added Recoter. (SMHToreno/DA-RAFIS 6)