THE Department of Agriculture (DA) and National Food Authority (NFA) in Western Visayas are gearing up for the palay procurement measure in anticipation for the first quarter harvest in the region.
Citing the report from DA- Western Visayas Director Remelyn Recoter, Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol, in his Facebook page, posted that the two agencies conducted a coordination meeting last week.
The meeting underscored the collaboration and interventions of the DA and NFA on the latter's local procurement for rice buffer stocking.
It was attended by the DA and NFA regional and provincial officials led by newly-installed regional manager John Robert Hermano, and personnel of other concerned agencies.
The report said there are 24 rice processing centers (RPCs), aside from the one operated by the Korea International Cooperation Agency, in the region.
These will be validated by NFA provincial managers for a partnership as buying stations, pick up points, and for possible drying or milling as well as storage services.
A meeting with local farmers associations managing the RPCs will be conducted once the validation of results from the field is consolidated, it added.
Piñol said that with NFA-Western Visayas' target procurement of 655,000 bags, it would need 15 more mobile drying units.
His post said two mobile dryers were already provided to NFA-Iloilo last year.
The rest will be provided through the Department of Budget of Management's Special Allotment Release Order issued in December 2018 and up for public bidding on February 6, it added.
“Available DA service trucks will also be provided for NFA use during the dry harvest season,” Piñol said, adding that reports from the field showed that bulk of harvest will be from February to March.
The volume will account for about 77 percent of the area planted, he also said.
Moreover, NFA provincial managers in Western Visayas will also be invited as resource persons in radio programs sponsored by the DA to disseminate information on the procurement program.
Under which, the NFA is buying palay (unhusked rice) from farmers at a higher price of P20.70 per kilogram.
It provided an additional P3.00 per kilogram Buffer Stocking Incentive (BSI) on top of other existing incentives of P0.70 and basic buying price of palay at P17 per kilogram.
The P0.70 per kilogram incentives are earlier given to farmers comprise of drying incentive of P0.20, delivery incentive of P0.20, and cooperative development incentive fee of P0.30 intended for associations where they belong.
The interventions relative to NFA's palay procurement measurement are Piñol's directive as proactive measures amid the impending passage of Rice Tariffication Bill. (EPN)