The National Food Authority in Bicol (NFA-5) is urging local chief executives across the region to assist farmers in increasing the buying price of palay (unhusked rice) through the Palay Marketing Assistance Program for Legislators and Local Government Units (PALLGU).

NFA-5 Assistant Regional Director Julie Llenaresas said Tuesday that under the program, local government units (LGUs) can provide additional incentives per kilo to the NFA’s palay buying price.

“The PALLGU program allows them [local executives] to offer incentives. In the past, some LGUs provided as much as PHP7, while others gave PHP5. This can significantly impact farmers’ income. For instance, if we buy their rice at PHP24 plus an additional PHP5, that would total PHP29, which is a substantial help to them,” she said in a media forum.

An LGU can enter into a memorandum of agreement with the NFA to raise the buying price of palay in their respective areas, she added.

Llenaresas assured that there are enough stocks available to meet demand, noting that the agency also supplies stocks to other regions to ensure distribution in non-rice producing areas.

“As of now, we have 824,111 bags of palay stored in various warehouses. These are being prepared for potential calamities or emergencies and for distribution,” she said.

About 84,701 bags have been milled and are strategically stored in different warehouses across the Bicol region, she added.

Llenaresas also assured the public that the rice sold under the “Benteng Bigas Meron Na” (BBM Na) program is of good quality and undergoes monthly testing to ensure food security and accessibility in the community.

“We guarantee that the rice we distribute is of high quality. It goes through laboratory testing, even if it has been stored as unmilled rice for three months, it remains good,” she said. (PNA)