And also to be able to buy rice directly from the farmers or cooperatives aside from Palay. NFA is prioritizing local rice procurement rather than spending on rice importation.
While waiting in this medium-term reform in the NFA, President Marcos ordered Department of Agriculture Secretary Tiu Laurel to expedite the procurement of delivery trucks in order to pick uppalay directly to the farmland of the farmers.
The president approved the allocation of P5.3billion to NFA for the provision of Rice Dryers where six units are set to be deployed in Bulacan.
Additional Rice Mills in Bulacan, similar to those in Pulilan and the City of Baliwag, are also underway to be funded by the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF).
President Marcos also went inside the warehouse where he personally supervised the on-going Palayprocurement of NFA in San Ildefonso, Bulacan
NFA Bulacan Acting Manager Rhona Talens said, around 549,000 cavans of Palay are already procured by the agency and now being stocked in its warehouses in Malolos, Balagtas, San Miguel and here in San Ildefonso.
Out of this, 300,000 cavans of Palays are already scheduled for milling. As part of his supervision, President Marcos also witnessed the arrival of130,000 cavans of Palay in NFA San Ildefonso warehouse.
NFA Administrator Larry Lacson explained that the said procured Palay will serve as the country’s buffer stocks to supply rice requirements during calamity and for the sustainability of selling P20.00 per kilo of rice under ‘Benteng Bigas Meron na’ program.
He also reiterated that selling Palay to NFA is definitely an advantage for the farmers rather than sell it to the private traders at P16.00 only. NFA procurement price is P19.00 per kilo for the fresh or newly harvested Palay, while P24.00 per kilo for clean and dry Palay.
To ensure the safety of Palay against the rain and all types of infestation, NFA is in the midst of rehabilitating its warehouses. In Maloloswarehouse, where the NFA Bulacan Provincial Office is located, is now also been reopened after massive rehabilitation worth P10 million.
The primary components of the said rehabilitation is the upgrading of electrical systems, new ventilations, and updated safety features. Built in 1979 during the administration of then President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr., is a 2,400 square meter warehouse that can accommodate up to 70,000 of 50-kilo bags of Palay or Rice.
Rehabilitation of NFA warehouses in San Ildefonso, San Miguel and Balagtas are now in the pipeline wherein NFA is targeting to complete the rehabilitation of the entire 134 warehouses across the country by 2027.
