By Leilanie G. Adriano
Staff reporter
LAOAG CITY—Rice farmers here are producing more than enough to feed over 593,000 residents here.
National Food Authority Ilocos Norte provincial manager Eleonor Andres said the province has a rice surplus of 288 percent but traders are taking them out of the province to supply other provinces, including Metro Manila.
The current buying rate for palay ranges from PHP23-24 per kilo.
“The flow a palay buying is volatile. We hope our top management will consider the setting of higher price for palay so we could also buy from our farmers,” she said citing the NFA warehouse in the province remains empty.
At present, NFA management has a very low PHP17 per kilo buying price set by the National Food Authority Council in previous years.
Except for Laoag City, which NFA considers as “critical” in terms of rice production, Ms. Andres said Batac City and the 21 towns of Ilocos Norte reported a stable rice supply.
The NFA, an agency attached to the Office of the President, has a mandate to ensure national food security and stabilize supply and prices of staple cereals both in the farm and consumer levels. The food agency buys paddy from farmers not only to stabilize farm-gate prices but also to boost its stockpile.