Thursday, August 23, 2007 NFA-Negros chief warns anew vs overpricing By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
NATIONAL Food Authority (NFA)-Negros Occidental chief Marianito Behemino has warned all accredited NFA market outlets not to sell NFA rice higher than the selling price of P18.00 per kilogram.
NFA's accredited market outlets include 93 Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke (BGP), 328 Tindahan Natin (TN) and several other accredited individual retailers operating outside the market.
Bejemino said he is not just reminding the outlets but warning them that overpricing could lead to serving of penalties and even cancellation of their rights as NFA accredited rice outlets.
He also said outlets should sell their rice directly to consumers and not to private rice dealers who may pass it off as commercial rice.
NFA rice should also be made available to the public at all times.
NFA monitoring teams have previously penalized outlets for over-pricing and violating of NFA rules and regulations as Bejemino urged the consuming public to be vigilant and report unauthorized trading of the commodity.
Meanwhile, some 120,000 sacks of rice from Vietnam are due to arrive this week augmenting the rice stocks of the province, Bejemino also disclosed.
The delivery should have been made earlier if not for the unfavorable weather that has caused its delay.
He assured Negrenses of a steady supply of the staple food with NFA having a rice inventory that would last for 24 days.
Moreover, he observed that some palay in rice producing areas in the province may be due for harvest soon.
Bejemino though also allayed fears of rice shortage triggered by previously severe drought, and now, heavy flooding in the country's rice bowls in Luzon.
But stressed that the heavy losses and damages on palay plantations in Luzon will only have a slight effect on the province's rice supply.
Any shortage, he said, can be easily filled-up by getting stocks from Iloilo Province.
Therefore, there is no reason to panic, he added, Through proper inventory and monitoring, the NFA sees to it that there will always be sufficient supply of rice in Negros Occidental, he stressed.
