MANILA – The Department of Agriculture (DA) may declare a food security emergency for rice by Tuesday next week, its top official said on Friday.
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the agency received the official copy of the National Price Coordinating Council’s resolution recommending the emergency declaration.
“Well, my office just received the resolution yesterday while I was still in the US (United States), which I have to sign as part of the board. Then, probably by Tuesday, we will likely be declaring the rice emergency,” Tiu Laurel said on the sidelines of the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the DA and grocery store chain operator MerryMart Consumer Corp.
Tiu Laurel said the DA has yet to review the NPCC resolution thoroughly.
“That is very welcome dahil mababawasan yung mga laman ng mga warehouses at matutuwa na rin ang ating mga farmers na makakabili na ang NFA ng bigas mula sa kanila kasi meron ng paglalagyan,” the agriculture chief said.
“And releasing 300,000 metric tons of rice to the market within six months, I think, will soften the market and hopefully bumaba ng kaunti pa yung presyo ng bigas,” he added.
The DA has been pushing for the declaration of a food security emergency to alleviate retail prices of rice, a staple Filipino food.
Once the declaration is made, NFA buffer stocks will be sold to government agencies and local government units at P36 per kilogram and consumers at P38 per kg.
The DA is authorized by the amended Rice Tariffication Law to declare a food security emergency on rice in case of a supply shortage or extraordinary increase in rice prices.
It previously said releasing the NFA’s buffer stock would help bring down prices and at the same time decongest warehouses in preparation for the February harvest. (Jordeene B. Lagare © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
