00:00The Department of Agriculture is far from selling to the local government of Murang Bigas.
00:05If that's the case, 100,000 sacks of rice are ready to be sold by the National Food Authority.
00:11This is what Claycell Pardilla reported.
00:16The Department of Agriculture is planning to increase the supply of Murang Bigas.
00:21The DA's target is to sell NFA rice to the local government
00:25so that it can be sold to their residents or used in times of calamity.
00:31According to the DA, NFA rice will be sold for P38,
00:36which is equivalent to P38 to P65 per kilo of rice in major supermarkets in Metro Manila.
00:45The effect of this on the price of rice, said the DA.
00:48It can still bring down the price because the more available, the cheaper it is.
00:55300,000 sacks of rice are ready to be sold by the National Food Authority to the LGUs.
01:02According to the NFA, the rice is considered non-regular or stocked
01:07and has been in boxes in warehouses for two months.
01:09But the quality is still good.
01:11The agency needs to release the rice so that it can be used by the farmers during harvest season.
01:19We have experienced some branches and warehouses
01:24where we cannot accept a lot of rice because we don't have a place to store it.
01:30If we transfer the rice every month, let's say next month,
01:34that whole, almost 700,000 sacks of rice will be considered as two months and above
01:42and can be disposed of as an aging stock.
01:45The NFA's fund is worth P15 billion to buy local rice from farmers.
01:52This will help local farmers to sell their rice at a higher price.
01:59At the same time, the NFA will build 30 rice processing facilities
02:04that will help in drying the rice.
02:07Now, they will dry the rice and sell it.
02:11No. It's dry. It's wet.
02:14Accept that.
02:15In fact, we would like to buy wet rice.
02:18Correct.
02:19Because we already have facilities and we know that the drying process is correct.
02:24According to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.
02:28The D.A. assured the early distribution of free rice to farmers.
02:34Aside from P30 billion from the Department of Budget and Management
02:40under the Rice Tarification Law,
02:43the D.A. has P21 billion in the National Rice Program of the agency
02:49that will increase the production of rice and make it more affordable.
02:54Kalei Zalfordilia for Pambansang TV in the new Philippines.
