No Rice Shortage in 2009 - PGMA

BINALONAN, Pangasinan – With the National Food Authority (NFA) palay procurement program on track, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today expressed optimism that the country will not experience a rice shortage in 2009.

She said the rice supply is expected to remain stable in the coming year following the expansion of the government’s palay procurement program, resulting in a hefty increase in the country’s inventory of the cereal.

“Inaasahan natin na walang krisis sa bigas sa susunod na taon,” the President said as she personally witnessed the palay procurement activity in Barangay Pinagnagnarvacanan here.

The President made the statement after she inspected the NFA warehouse here this noon and saw for herself the continuing buildup of the agency’s palay inventory.

To further enhance palay production here, the President said the government will prioritize the implementation of irrigation projects in Pangasinan.

“For irrigation project, No. 1 priority natin ang Pangasinan to boost the province’s palay production,” she said.

Pangasinan is the third biggest palay producing province in the country.
NFA Administrator Jesus Navarro lauded the President for her strong support to the palay procurement program.

In Pangasinan alone, the Arroyo administration has released about P1 billion for the procurement of palay and help the farmers cope with the high prices of farm inputs.

At present, the NFA has already bought some 1.10 million bags of palay from the farmers, exceeding the agency’s procurement target of one million bags for the four-month period ending this month.

“This is the highest accomplishment of the NFA as we’ve been able to more than double our palay procurement from 400,000 bags before,” Navarro said.

The NFA has 14 warehouses and seven mobile buying stations in the province which buy clean and dry palay with 14 percent moisture content and a minimum of 95 percent purity at P17 per kilogram.

THE NFA also grants an additional incentive of P1,800 to farmers for every 50 bags of palay -- at 50 kilograms per bag – that they sell to the agency.

Source: Office of the President