FOR the first time, National Food Authority (NFA) rice will soon be available in local supermarkets, following a memorandum of agreement signed with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association (Pagasa).
NFA 7 spokesperson Olma Bayno said that the move will provide an alternative to consumers, especially with the rising prices of commodities.
“This is to address the clamor of the public since the prices of basic commodities have been increasing,” she said.
Bayno said that with the MOA, they hope NFA rice will be made available to more consumers.
She also hopes having NFA rice sold in supermarkets changes people’s poor perceptions of it, as they will see that it does not have a foul smell or a dark color, as most people have been led to believe.
“Ma-change nang perception nga kung NFA gani, baho. Kung NFA, lagom (We can change the perception that NFA rice has a foul smell or is darker than other varieties),” she said.
Bayno said that they have yet to receive directives from their central office for coordination meetings with the management of supermarkets and the DTI.
As of Sept 23, the total rice inventory of NFA rice in Central Visayas is 440,000 bags.
She said that the agency wants to make sure that affordable rice is available to consumers.
“Amo gud nang gi-intensify ang amoang monitoring sad, labi na ganahan mi nga kaning atong barato nga bugas maadto gyud sa atong consumers. Ganahan gyud ang NFA nga bahaon og rice ang market (We are also intensifying our monitoring because we want affordable rice to reach all consumers. The NFA wants to flood the market with rice),” she said.
The MOA will usher the entry of affordable NFA rice in supermarkets nationwide. It was signed last week.
In an earlier report, consumers may buy up to two bags or four kilograms of NFA rice in participating supermarkets with the same price--P27 per kilogram.
Bayno also called for local government units (LGU) to help them in monitoring the price of NFA rice in their municipalities so that those who take advantage are immediately stopped.
In Central Visayas, Bayno said that they have 300 accredited retail outlets and that their employees regularly monitor them. (JOB)