Piñol takes up NFA challenge

“The day’s burning issue is NFA and the messy situation it’s in right now.” (PNA Photo)

MANILA — Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol is set to face issues hounding the National Food Authority (NFA) head-on and even sieve out unscrupulous officials to improve the agency’s performance and ease the country’s rice situation.

Piñol has already set meetings with NFA officials and its council to discuss addressing issues like local palay procurement difficulties and NFA’s rice stock inventory.

“The day’s burning issue is NFA and the messy situation it’s in right now,” he said on his Facebook page on Thursday.

He said public perception that commercial rice prices spiked because NFA bungled the country’s rice importation program must be corrected.

Malacañang released this week Executive Order 62, which transferred from the Cabinet Secretary to the Department of Agriculture (DA) the supervision over NFA, Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), and the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA).

EO 62 also reorganized the NFA Council, designating the DA Secretary as the policy-making body’s chairperson.

Piñol said he is thankful for such opportunity to further serve the country.

He assured he is addressing the issues facing even the PCA and the FPA.

In a statement, the NFA said the return of the three agencies, including itself, to the agriculture department reflects Malacañang’s bid to promote local food security.

The agency said the EO also promotes a unified and realistic approach to agricultural development in the country by enabling NFA and DA to synchronize policies like those on timing rice importation and market intervention.

NFA had reported encountering difficulty in procuring local palay, noting this agency’s buying price of PHP17 per kilogram is below what private traders are offering rice farmers in the country.

Such difficulty and delay the NFA had encountered in securing the council’s approval for 2018 rice importation have adversely affected NFA’s inventory and supply of cheaper rice for the local market.

“It’s a messy situation but we’ll do whatever it takes to address this matter,” Piñol said.

He said he had asked NFA officials in the regions to take stock of their localities’ rice situation and report on their respective rice inventories.

Piñol also told the NFA officials to report their action on alleged hoarding and diversion of NFA rice stocks.

He said he would relieve NFA officials who would be proven to be unscrupulous.

“We must start on a clean slate,” he said.

The DA chief said he had cancelled the leave of exiting NFA Administrator Jason Aquino, so he could help in the task at hand while awaiting his replacement.

“We need him for the transition to NFA’s new leadership,” Piñol explained.

Aquino earlier asked to be relieved of his post as NFA head.

He will remain as NFA head until Malacañang designates his replacement.

Despite the looming management transition at the NFA, the agency assured there will be no disruption in its rice distribution and other services.

The NFA gave such assurance, noting its systems and operational procedures are already in place.