The emergency procurement of milling services has helped expand the capacity of the warehouses of the National Food Authority (NFA), the Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday.
The DA made the remark after the NFA completed the emergency procurement of milling services in Bicol worth PHP19.1 million in contracts, following similar services in Region 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN).
In a statement, DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the initiative seeks to boost the capacity of the NFA to accommodate more palay (unhusked rice) procured from local farmers.
The program also supports the government’s sale of PHP20 per kilogram of aging but good quality rice under the Benteng Bigas Meron (BBM) Na program through the faster release of milled rice.
“This initiative allows us to simultaneously expand warehouse capacity, build stronger emergency rice reserves, and sustain the government’s affordable rice program at a time when inflationary risks are intensifying,” he said.
“With global oil prices rising because of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, protecting Filipino consumers from food price shocks has become even more critical,” Tiu Laurel said.
NFA administrator Larry Lacson, likewise, said the initiative gives the government greater flexibility in supporting President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s P20-per-kilo rice initiative and stabilizing supply in vulnerable markets.
The emergency procurement of milling services also boosts their capacity to respond to emergencies alongside improved rice inventory management.
“By accelerating the milling of these stocks, we are not only boosting disaster-ready rice reserves but also creating room to procure more palay directly from farmers during the harvest season,” Lacson said.
To date, six rice millers from Albay and Sorsogon were contracted to process 114,743 50-kilo bags of palay.
This is equivalent to about 74,580 bags of rice, according to the NFA.
Earlier, the NFA secured PHP48.5 million worth of milling contracts for more than 215,000 50-kilo bags of palay harvested across Region 12.
These contracts include 15 rice mills in North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato. (PNA)
