THE top official of the National Food Authority (NFA) in Northern Mindanao on Friday, April 6, said the stocks of the government-subsidized rice is running out and it can no longer supply the NFA rice retailers by next week.
NFA-Northern Mindanao chief Fernando Nuñez said the supply for the provinces of Misamis Oriental, Lanao del Norte, Misamis Occidental and Bukidnon was already empty, while Camiguin has only about 6,000 bags which may only last for few weeks.
"Minimal na lang gyud kaayo ang stocks. Zero out na ang mga provinces but for Camiguin mga 6,000 bags na lang kay we have to protect Camiguin kay it’s an island province," Nuñez said.
Nuñez said the NFA-Northern Mindanao was able to supply its retailers this week but it can no longer allocate them starting next week.
He said stocks for Cagayan de Oro City had also ran out as they prioritize to serve and comply the requirements for the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for April.
Nuñez said this is to ensure that the social welfare office has its buffer stock of NFA rice should man-made or natural calamities strike.
"Naka-supply pa ta this week that's why naa pa tay makita sa public market pero next week we can no longer supply the retailers," Nuñez said.
The NFA-Northern Mindanao director said the rice crisis ensued after the NFA council only approved half of the requested 500,000 metrics tons requested by the NFA administrator last year.
Nuñez said only eight regions were then given the allocations, including Northern Mindanao.
The NFA-Northern Mindanao has to share with other regions in Mindanao which were not given the allocation like Caraga, Zamboanga Peninsula, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).
"Duha lang ka region sa Mindanao ang naay allocation so we have to share to this needy regions plus we share pa for the relief operations sa Marawi City through the DSWD," Nunez said.
"Ang problema last year our administrator has requested for 500,000 metric tons pero ang gi-approve sa NFA council is 250,000 metric tons lang so naay shortfall,"he added.
Nunez said NFA rice consumers should hold on a bit since President Rodrigo Duterte has approved and ordered to hasten the importation of rice which is set to arrive in May and June.