NFA ensures food security via ‘Ugnayan’

MALAYBALAY CITY -- The National Food Authority (NFA) has strengthened its coordination in Bukidnon province to ensure rice self-sufficiency and food security.

Victoria Real-Duray, provincial manager, said NFA is now focused on increased rice procurement, hands-on training on grains classification, posting of farmers’ kiosks and post-harvest facilities in far-flung areas, conduct of farmers’ forum, help farmers in selling their produce, and intensification of Iron-Fortified Rice (I-Rice) consumption.

“As part of the Department of Agriculture (DA), we are helping small rice farmers sell their harvests on time and at a better price. Selling rice produce at NFA is now easier and faster as we are financially strengthened to obtain more,” she said.

Currently, NFA buys local unmilled rice at P17.70 per kilo. Included in the buying price are the cooperative development incentive fee, drying incentive fee, and delivery incentive fee.

However, NFA is considering a change in some of its rice procurement approaches to ensure that more rice farmers will benefit from it.

These include increasing number of sellable bags to 200 from 100 for walk-in farmers; simplifying requirements for farmers’ passbook issuance; issuing the passbook for free, shouldering expenses for unloading and re-sacking of rice will be by the NFA; and paying deliveries on the same day.

While NFA is mandated to ensure food security through rice procurement, maintenance of buffer stocks, rice distribution to market outlets at strategic locations at appropriate time, it also has regulatory functions such as price monitoring, licensing, and registration of persons or companies engaged in the wholesale, retail, processing, manufacturing, storage, transporting, packaging, importation and exportation of grain food products. (PR)