ANOTHER batch of 6.5 metric tons, or 130,000 bags of imported rice, is arriving in the province on September, a top official of the National Food Authority (NFA) in Negros Occidental said Monday, August 20.
Frisco Canoy, provincial manager of NFA-Negros Occidental, told SunStar Bacolod that the province's additional allocation forms part of the 250,000 metric tons of rice arriving in the country.
"No source yet for our allocation until a vessel is assigned," Canoy said, pointing out that "it is government to private importation, thus, the source is from different countries who are able to bid."
Last July, the initial allocation of 80,000 bags of imported rice from Thailand arrived in the province.
Of these buffer stocks, NFA-Negros Occidental has already distributed about 60 percent to local accredited rice retailers.
Some 5,000 bags were also augmented to Antique last week due to the declaration of a state of calamity there, Canoy said.
Canoy, moreover, confirmed reports that there are currently brisk sales of the P27 per kilogram NFA rice among markets in the province.
"Consumers are really falling in line just to buy NFA rice with quality like that of P45 per kilogram commercial rice," he said, adding that retailers have even reduced to two or three kilograms the allowable purchase per consumer per day.
Based on the agency's guidelines, each consumer is allowed to buy a maximum of five kilograms of NFA rice per day.
If there are many consumers, however, outlets can limit the purchase up to two kilograms.
Canoy said that each retailer is given 35 bags throughout the week. With this allocation, they should sell five bags per day in order to make the stocks last for seven days.
"What is happening now, retailers can sell five bags within just two to three hours," he said.
Like the previous shipment, NFA-Negros Occidental is still anticipating possible delays on the arrival of additional 130,000 bags.
"Loading may be delayed due to bad weather conditions in source countries," Canoy said, adding that upon its arrival here, rains may also affect the loading like what happened to 80,000 bags which lasted for almost a month.
If wet, the quality of stocks may be affected, he reiterated.