The National Food Authority (NFA) is set to auction off 754,000 bags of ‘aging’ milled rice or rice stocks that are over three months old.
NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said this is to free up space in warehouses and avoid spillage.
“Kailangan naming isubasta o i-auction ang mga bigas natin bago ito maging unfit for human consumption so kaya ito iyon. Ito ay mandato sa batas na ginagawa natin,” he stated in an interview with state-run media PTV Thursday, February 12.
The opening of auction tenders will happen on February 20. A pre-auction conference was held on February 13.
Lacson assured that the rice stocks to be auctioned passed laboratory tests and “good and fit for human consumption.”
Should all the aging rice be sold, the NFA chief said they expect revenues of roughly P912 million.
“Ang paggagamitan naman nito ay for operational expenses ‘no – pansuweldo ng tao, panggiling, pang-transport ng bigas, pambili ng sako, anything; operating expense puwedeng gamitan iyan. Pambili rin ng truck para mas makapamili tayo ng palay,” he noted.
Lacson said any business entity or individual with proper documentation can join the bidding.
The auction will be held at the NFA Central Office, but qualified bidders can send their bids through NFA regional offices.
Participants can bid a minimum of 5,000 bags, with prices varying depending on the age of rice stocks.
“Kung iyan ay more than three months hanggang six months, ito iyong pinakamahal namin, nasa P25.16 per kilo; at iyong pinakamura naman, iyong more than 18 months – mayroon tayong mga more than 18 months eh P22.52 per kilo naman siya,” he said.
Old rice stocks that will not be sold will be re-auctioned.
“Ang cycle naman ganito, ino-offer muna natin siya sa mga local government units, sa mga government agencies, sa mga government-owned and controlled corporation, so lahat ng sangay ng gobyerno ino-offer muna natin iyan,” he said.
“After in-offer at kung ano iyong natira iyon ang pinapa-auction natin. So, we go through the same process again, so hanggang maubos iyan,” Lacson added.
Currently, around 70 to 80 warehouses are undergoing repairs, according to Lacson.
The NFA chief assured enough rice supply with 440,000 metric tons of equivalent milled rice stored in various NFA warehouses nationwide. (ABS-CBN News)
