Saturday, April 12, 2008 'Bacolod rice stocks enough but expensive'
"THERE is no rice shortage in the city and province though prices are going up. But the City government is doing its best to avert further surge, possibly caused by some hoarding and re-bagging," said Goldwyn Nifras, secretary to the Mayor, on the initial situational assessment made by the newly formed Task Force Bantay Bugas (TFBB).
Nifras said in TFBB's meeting Friday with the provincial National Food Authority (NFA), rice retailers, traders and wholesalers, there was a consensus that enough rice stocks in Bacolod City and province are available. The only problem is that prices are soaring.
He said the NFA's share in the market is maintained at 239,000 bags, and assured that replenishment from national NFA is continuous.
Nifras also said there are 31 NFA outlets in Bacolod City alone, enough to make its cheaper price accessible to the consumers.
But he admitted the possibility of hoarding and re-bagging of NFA stocks and then reselling these in commercial retail outlets at a much higher price per kilo. "To date (though), we have not received cases of hoarding and re-bagging."
"Once NFA rice is re-bagged, it is very difficult to determine because the quality of NFA rice is almost the same as the ones available in commercial outlets," he added.
To prevent this from happening, Nifras said the TFBB, NFA, police, and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have formed a sub-committee that would undertake joint inspections of all warehouses in the city; conduct coordinated monitoring of market prices; monitor NFA rice delivery to market outlets and; investigate the quality of all the rice varieties being sold in the market.
"For now, there is really no cause for alarm; we just advised the people not to panic and to buy not more than what they need for a few days or a week in order not force the artificial soaring of rice prices," Nifras said.
He reiterated the call of Mayor Evelio Leonardia for the media and consumers' groups to help in the monitoring of price trending and report anyone believed to be engaging in unscrupulous businesses.
Nifras also said the TFBB and the joint sub-committee would be meeting periodically to assess the prevailing situation and make appropriate actions. (Karl G. Ombion)
