Saturday, October 25, 2008 Farmers, traders slam NFA for doubtful fee, practice
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Scores of farmers and traders in Pampanga have assailed the National Food Authority (NFA) in Barangay Sindalan here for alleged imposition of a questionable fee and unfair practice.
Irate farmers, who asked anonymity for fear of reprisal, bared that the NFA is charging them P0.55 centavos for every kilo of palay (unhusked rice) sold or equivalent to P27.50 per every sack of palay.
“We don’t know what that fee is exactly for but we suspect that it’s an irregular charge that might only be pocketed by some people in the NFA,” the farmers said in the vernacular.
One farmer revealed that the P.55 fee being questioned is broken into P.20, P.20 and P.15.
“This has to be investigated by concerned authorities because we believe it’s illegal and some unscrupulous people maybe taking advantage of the farmers and traders,” they said.
Farmers also took the NFA to task for its preferential treatment of traders.
“Traders are always attended to by NFA people first even if farmers arrive first,” the farmers said.
Both farmers and traders have named a number of NFA employees who could possibly be involved in the alleged practices but Sun.Star Pampanga has withheld their names for lack of sufficient evidence and due to complainants’ request not to divulge them.
“What’s urgently needed is a thorough investigation so that those involved could be properly identified and, if not necessary, penalized,” they said.
The farmers also complained of a substantial drop in the price of palay, from as high as P18 per kilo to the ongoing level of P12 per kilo.
“We’re not sure that is the real market rate or a result of some kind of price manipulation,” they said.
A bumper palay crop is expected in the ongoing harvest season as a result of the price spike recently following the supply crisis that hit the Philippines and other rice-producing countries in the world.
