Sunday, September 09, 2007 No rice shortage in Kalinga, Ifugao
THE National Food Authority has assured there is no shortage on rice supply in Kalinga contrary to rumors and text messages going around that distributors and market outlets of NFA rice are out of stock.
NFA Manager engineer Eduardo Mercado said the province has sufficient supply as he called on the public not to panic. He said 11,000 cavans is available and an additional 10,000 is coming. “The additional request for a buffer stock will be available before October this year.”
Mercado explained that the supply decreased during the long dry spell because import from Vietnam was delayed. “Since the drought was a calamity, NFA also has to decrease its allocation to rice distributors from 20 to 10 bags a week in order to have a stock for food security guaranteed for distribution when the situation comes to worst,” he said but added this is only temporary.
To dispel public doubt, Mercado called on all distributors from the province for a discussion in improving distribution and on the compliance with the rules and regulations relative to the business.
Assistant NFA Manager Enrique Baliang said some distributors are violating rules and regulations like diverting their supply allocation to commercial or non-NFA license rice supply dealers. One retailer admitted they do this since it is easier to dispose their allocation instead of retailing it, which takes longer.
But Baliang pointed out that NFA supply is easily disposed of because of its very low-priced but good quality rice.
To monitor violations, NFA would regularly check on distributors and continue to meet with their partners down to the market level to practice fair business.
Baliang said NFA has already penalized six retailers in Rizal requiring them to pay P1,000 each for diversion, stock and price tag violation.
During the dialogue, members of the rice retailer confederation vowed to abide by the law and maintain their outlets as source of supply for the most number of consumers in the municipalities.
The NFA also organized a palengke watch and is working with members of the media to jointly promote the anti-poverty mitigating program of President Arroyo. NFA warned distributors committing rice adulteration, under weighing and over pricing of NFA rice that their licenses and accreditation would be immediately revoked and that they face stiffer penalties.
NFA rice is sold to distributors at P16.50 a kilo or P850 per bag. Distributors retail it to P18 a kilo or P900 per cavan, compared to commercial rice sold at P24 – P26 a kilo or P1,200 – P1,250 per cavan.
On their rolling store, Baliang said 50 cavans are rolled out for sale every market day in Bulanao and Dagupan markets. NFA has 119 bigasang bayan outlets in the province.
Meanwhile, due to the price increase of commercial rice, the demand for NFA rice in Ifugao has increased.
Carmencita Galvez of NFA-Ifugao said NFA rice, still sold at P18 per kilo and P900 per sack is selling like hot pandesal in different outlets in the province because of the increase in prices of commercial rice from P25 to P28 per kilo. The increase started last July because of the effect of the dry season, she added.
Galvez added the NFA is only allowed to allocate 10 percent within the marketing plan. The commercial rice would produce the other 90 percent.
She said NFA had been distributing 7,000 sacks every month to 40 tindahan natin outlets; 105 to accredited outlets located in the 11 municipalities here and one bigasan ni Gloria sa palengke in Alfonso Lista.
Galvez assured there would be a steady supply of NFA rice in the province by increasing the 10 percent allocation to 15 percent.
