NFA-NegOcc programs rice distribution until August

BACOLOD CITY — The National Food Authority (NFA) in Negros Occidental has programmed its rice distribution efforts until this August as part of its remaining mandate following the liberalization of the rice industry.

Frisco Canoy, provincial manager of NFA-Negros Occidental, said starting Tuesday, Republic Act 11203 or the Rice Import and Export Libelization Law took effect, thereby removing the agency’s regulatory functions over international and domestic trading of rice.

President Rodrigo Duterte signed RA 11203 on February 14, which lifted import restrictions on rice to make the price of the staple commodity more affordable.

Canoy said the NFA-Negros Occidental will now concentrate on its buffer stocking for calamities and emergencies role.

This is still part of ensuring the food security mandate of the NFA and the same guidelines on palay procurement with the current support price of PHP20.70 per kilogram will be implemented, he added.

“We have programmed the distribution until August this year. We are on ‘wait and see’ status in terms of distribution,” Canoy said.

As of Tuesday, the NFA-Negros Occidental still has a buffer stock inventory of 195,000 bags. These stocks are part of the province’s recent import allocation from Myanmar and Vietnam.

If there is no new instructions from the NFA central office, they will continue to distribute the remaining stocks to the market, Canoy said.

Government rice with a buying price of PHP25 per kilogram at the NFA is being sold by accredited retailers at PHP27 per kilogram.

With the rice tariffication taking effect, the NFA can no longer import rice for distribution to local traders and retailers.

The initial implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Rice Import and Export Libelization Law was presented during the consultation with the Visayas stakeholders in Iloilo City on March 1.

“The law is not yet fully implemented. There are still additional provisions, or maybe amendments, that will be included in the final version of the IRR,” Canoy said.

Under the law, provincial offices like the NFA-Negros Occidental can no longer act on licensing and registration of persons and entities engaged in the grains business, and collection of regulatory fees.

Other functions stripped from the agency included the issuance of negotiable warehouse receipts, warehouse inspection, authority to seize hoarded stocks and enforce rules and regulations in the grains business. (PNA)