The National Food Authority (NFA) in Ilocos Norte province has started to secure its stockpile for the rainy days, with around 43,177 sacks of rice purchased from local farmers at PHP30 per kilo from April 22 to May 13, 2024.

“The PHP30 per kilo buying price of NFA is a big help to our farmers as we used to buy PHP23 per kilo from them,” NFA-Ilocos Norte branch manager Engineer Jonathan Corpuz said in a media interview on Wednesday.

Bulk of the supply was bought from farmers from this city, as well as from the towns of San Nicolas, Bacarra, Dingras, Marcos, Solsona, and Nueva Era.

Corpuz said they target to buy additional 7,000 sacks of rice, at 50 kilos per sack, this week to have a stockpile of around 70,000 sacks in their warehouses in time for the lean months, and ready for food security and relief operations in cases of emergencies or calamities.

NFA rice is sold at PHP20 per kilo during the Kadiwa ng Pangulo program held at least twice a month in front of the Provincial Capitol.

The branch also has accredited retail outlets through the Institutionalized Bigasan Sa Palengke (IBSP), and individual retailers located inside and outside the markets to cater particularly to the marginalized people.

The food agency is authorized to purchase domestically grown rice and hold it in reserve in the event of shortages or calamities, as outlined in the Rice Tariffication Law of 2019 (Republic Act No. 11203). (PNA)