00:00 The National Food Authority has now reached its target of buying rice from local farmers
00:07 that the country can use during calamities or emergencies.
00:11 This is what surprised Clayzel Pardilla.
00:13 The farmer was shocked.
00:15 Ernie has been able to buy rice from almost 3 countries.
00:19 But instead of selling it to the trader,
00:22 he brought it to the National Food Authority in San Ildefonso, Bulacan.
00:27 The price of rice per kilo is from P24 to P25.
00:34 But the NFA bought it for P27.
00:39 If it's just P1, it's a big deal compared to the trader
00:46 because it can add to the cost of buying rice and beans.
00:51 As a preparation for the calamity,
00:53 the National Food Authority is now buying rice from local farmers
00:58 just like this bag of rice that is now in a warehouse in San Miguel, Bulacan.
01:04 According to the NFA, the agency bought 3.29 million bags of rice.
01:11 This is 99% of the target of 3.30 million bags of rice for the first 6 months of 2024.
01:20 The NFA bought 136,000 metric tons of rice.
01:26 It's almost 4 days of consumption of rice in the Philippines
01:30 that will be given during a calamity or emergency.
01:33 But it's still not enough for the agency's National Rice Buffer Suck requirement
01:39 under the Rice Tarification Law.
01:42 But the NFA is not in charge of this.
01:46 We are not being hit by a typhoon that will hit the whole Philippines.
01:50 That's enough, aside from the stocks in our households.
01:56 If we compute the 136 million kilos,
02:00 that will last 35 days of consumption of Metro Manila.
02:07 If the NFA earns this much,
02:09 some farmers are afraid that the imported rice will go bad and the price of rice will go down.
02:16 Next, they will approve a lower price for the rice and other products.
02:22 That's why Angelo is planting rice.
02:25 If they are really interested, they will sell it.
02:29 If?
02:30 If the price of rice goes down.
02:33 The farmers will also get hit.
02:36 The NFA will buy the rice at a reasonable price.
02:41 The lowering of the imported rice price has nothing to do with the buying price of the NFA.
02:50 Even if they lower it to zero, we will buy at the price that will help and benefit the farmers.
02:58 The rice procurement price in Tuyo varies from P23 to P30.
03:03 While in P17 to P23, the price is higher compared to P16 to P23.
03:13 The NFA is hoping to use the 300,000 metric tons of rice buffer stock before the year ends.
03:22 Kalei Zalpardilia for Pambansang TV in the new Philippines.
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