NFA: Tariff cut no effect on local palay procurement price

STABLE PROCUREMENT PRICE. National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Larry Lacson inspects a palay procurement warehouse in San Ildefonso, Bulacan on Friday (June 7, 2024). He assured that the NFA procurement price will not be affected by the tariff cut on imported rice. (PNA photo by Stephanie Sevillano)

SAN ILDEFONSO, Bulacan – The National Food Authority (NFA) on Friday assured local farmers that the tariff cut on imported rice would not affect the agency’s higher buying price for local clean and dry palay.

“Walang kinalaman iyong pagbaba ng tariff ng imported rice doon sa buying price ng NFA. Kahit ibaba nila sa zero iyan, we will buy at the price na makakatulong at makakaginhawa sa farmers (The tariff cut on imported rice has nothing to do with the buying price of NFA. Even if they drop it to zero, we will buy at the price that is beneficial to farmers),” NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said in an ambush interview on the sidelines of warehouse inspection here.

“Hindi naman porket binabaan ng 15 percent iyong taripa, ibababa na rin natin iyong presyo (Just because you lower the tariff to 15 percent does not mean that we will also lower our buying price),” he added.

The current buying price of NFA for clean and dry palay ranges from PHP23 per kilogram (kg) to PHP30/kg.

Angelo Vitalista, a 62-year-old farmer, meanwhile, lauded the NFA’s higher buying price, which is at PHP27/kg in their area, saying it greatly helps against unscrupulous traders.

“Hindi ho nawawala iyong pambabarat. Kung sa NFA po kasi, basta’t may itinalagang presyo, pipirmi na iyong presyo ng NFA.

Malaking bagay po sa aming magsasaka iyon kung mabibili ng PHP27 (Shortchanging cannot be eliminated. But if it is NFA, as long as they set a buying price, it will remain that way. It’s a huge thing for us farmers if our palay is bought at PHP27),” he said in a separate interview.

Vitalista, however, said that it would even be more beneficial if NFA could provide drying facilities for their wet palay.

NFA buys fresh and wet palay at PHP17/kg to PHP23/kg.

In response, Lacson said the agency has already directed the regional offices to prepare for the wet harvest season.

“Ang instructions ko sa lahat ng regional offices ng NFA (My instructions to all NFA regional offices), look for drying facilities that we can contract para mayroon kaming pagdadalhan ng basang palay (where we can dry our wet palay),” he said.