NFA pays premium price for Isabela rice

MANILA, Philippines — State-run National Food Authority (NFA) managed to secure palay (unhusked rice) stocks in Isabela after buying at a higher price.

The provincial government added a premium of P4.50 per kilogram to NFA’s  P17.40, raising the grains agency’s buying price to P21.90 per kg, clean and dry.

Isabela’s price premium for palay procurement specifically benefits small farmers and those tilling one hectare or less.

“This is a great help to our poor farmers and to the agency in maintaining our food security mandate,” NFA administrator Jason Aquino said.

This year, Isabela allocated P2.85 million to help NFA-Isabela procure 11,660 bags or more than 630,000 kg to benefit 376 farmers who sold their palay to the agency.

The value of procured volume amounted to P13.85 million, with NFA funding P11 million of the total cost.

“The program was most successful in far-flung barrios of the province because no traders penetrate these areas. In some municipalities, it will cost the farmers around P60 per kg to bring their produce to the nearest buying station,” said Evelyn Barroga, NFA-Isabela provincial manager.

“NFA was also able to buy in some towns because traders were only buying palay at P17.50 to P19.50 per kg,” she added.

Isabela is one of the biggest rice producing provinces in the country but NFA cannot easily buy from farmers with its current buying price without additional premium.