NFA intensifies palay buying to boost buffer stocks

The National Food Authority (NFA) will intensify its local palay procurement to reach its target volume. (Photo: David Pursehouse/Flickr)

MANILA—The National Food Authority (NFA) will intensify its local palay procurement to reach its target volume.

“NFA’s target for palay procurement this year is 4,607,350 bags or 230,367 MT to boost the government’s buffer stock and rice distribution requirements,” said NFA administrator Jason Laureano Aquino in a statement.

Aquino already ordered its field offices to step up their buying operations, as the summer crop harvest starts this month until June.

The NFA’s buying price for clean and dry palay is Php 17 per kilogram.

Incentives are also being offered to individual farmers and farmer cooperatives nationwide, including delivery, drying and Cooperative Development Incentive Fee or a total of Php 17.70 to Php 18 per kilogram.

The NFA aims to procure 79,240 metric tons of palay from January to June this year.

As of Feb. 22, the food agency has already bought a total of 47,782 bags of palay nationwide based on the data released by the NFA’s Grains Marketing Operation Department.

Bulk of this year’s target volume is expected to be bought during the main harvest from October to December.

At least 413 buying stations nationwide are being utilized so farmers can sell their produce to the agency.

Mobile procurement teams are also ready to be deployed to remote areas where farmers may find it hard to transport their produce to NFA buying stations.