Rice dealers back DA, NFA

MANILA, Philippines - Legitimate rice traders, dealers and other industry stakeholders have manifested their full support to the programs and initiatives of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala and the National Food Authority (NFA) in ensuring that there is enough rice supply in line with the government’s food security program.

This developed as more than 150 stakeholders and industry players representing the biggest groups of farmers, rice mill owners, wholesalers, traders and retailers aired in a recent meeting their support to the assertions of Alcala and NFA administrator Orlan Calayag that the industry is stable and that there is sufficient rice supply.

They agreed that some individuals and groups who have an ax to grind against Alcala and the government are behind false reports on the artificial rice shortage to sow confusion among the people.

In the meeting, they also agreed that while there might have been a slight rise in the price of rice in some areas, it was mainly due to the lean months and not because of a rice shortage, as some quarters wanted the public to believe.

Participants from various groups like the Grains Retailers Association of the Philippines, Binhi-NCR, AGRIS, Philippine Confederation of Grains Associations, and ANIB-AMI, among other groups, vowed to join hands and fight those who are behind the false reports.