The National Food Authority (NFA) has pledged to buy the palay (unhusked rice) of local farmers, Malacañang said Tuesday amid reports that the grains agency has been unable to purchase larger quantities because of limited budget.

In a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro clarified that the NFA is ready to expand its rice storage to accommodate farmers who will sell their palay.

“Lahat po ng magbebenta na farmers, kailangan lamang po talagang pumila dahil peak season po ngayon at may mga magsasaka po na nauna na nagpalista at uunahin po lahat iyan (All the farmers who will sell, they just have to line up because it is peak season now and there are farmers who have registered first and they will all be given priority),” Castro said.

“Kung kukulangin man daw po ang bodega, magri-rent po sila, ang NFA. So, lahat po na magbebenta na farmer, kung sila po ay may pagkakataon na hintayin ang kanilang turn, bibilin po ito ng NFA (If the warehouse is not enough, the NFA will rent. So, all the farmers who will sell, if they could wait for their turn, the NFA will buy),” she added.

Castro assured the farmers that the NFA would not reject the palay that would be sold to them.

She noted that the NFA sets the buying price for fresh or wet palay at PHP19 per kg. in Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon, and PHP18 per kg. for the rest of the country.

The Palace official said the NFA will buy clean and dry palay at PHP24 per kg.

Castro earlier advised local farmers to seek local government units’ assistance for the direct selling of their palay to the NFA.

The Department of Agriculture has allotted an additional PHP10 billion for the rehabilitation of NFA warehouses and procurement of palay. (PNA)