The National Food Authority (NFA) reported the procurement of 170,000 bags of palay (unhusked rice) in just three days following the implementation of the higher buying price for the commodity nationwide.

If converted, it is equivalent to 8,000 metric tons (MT), a slight increase in the national buffer stock.

“Dati nasa 42,200 metric tons, ngayon nasa more than 50,000 thousand metric tons… So, tumaas in just three days ano (Previously, it was just 42,200 MT, now it’s more than 50,000 MT. So, it increased in just three days),” Administrator Larry Lacson, NFA Officer-in-Charge, said in an exclusive interview with the People’s Television Network’s “Spotlight” program on Sunday.

The NFA’s new buying price is pegged at PHP17 to PHP23 per kilogram for fresh or wet palay (from PHP16 to PHP19/kg); and PHP23 to PHP30/kg for clean and dry palay (PHP19 to PHP23/kg).

Lacson said the NFA needs to wait for the second harvest for the upcoming wet season to reach its 300,000 MT target volume.

“Meron pa kaming makukuhanan ng (We can still get some during the) wet season, more or less 70 percent of the total production kada taon (per annum),” he said.

Lacson reiterated his order to local managers to secure adequate drying facilities considering the effects of a looming La Niña.

“Look for all opportunities kung saan tayo pwedeng magbilad, kasi ‘yan ‘yung challenge. Ano ang saysay ng kaya nating mamili ng magandang presyo kung hindi natin mapapatuyo sa tamang tuyo (where we can dry, because that’s the challenge. What’s the sense of a good buying price if we can’t dry it properly)?” he said. (PNA)