The National Food Authority (NFA) on Thursday said the Marcos administration’s implementation of the Masagana Agrifood Infrastructure Modernization project is on the right track.
In a speech during the 52nd NFA anniversary celebration, Administrator Larry Lacson said the PHP93 billion worth of program aims to save farmers from the effects of rice and corn wastage.
“We are also on track in the implementation of Masagana Agrifood Infrastructure Modernization of our dear President (Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.) and our Secretary (Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr.),” Lacson said.
“Once completed, these infrastructures will not only provide modern infrastructures for our farmers. More importantly, it would save our farmers PHP10 billion a year of rice and corn wastage.”
Lacson said that under the project, modern post-harvest facilities shall be built within the next three years.
To date, he said the NFA is fast-tracking procedures to bid out the first phase of the project before the year ends.
High buying price
Besides the Masagana agrifood infrastructure modernization project, Lacson also highlighted the NFA accomplishment in protecting farmers from unscrupulous traders who are taking advantage of them through lower or unreasonable buying prices.
“We have implemented the PRICERS or the price range scheme through which we increased the buying price of up to PHP30/kg of palay in many provinces. This is to make sure that the NFA can competitively buy palay from our farmers. This is a tremendous assistance for our farmers,” he said.
Under the pricing scheme, the price of fresh and wet palay ranges from PHP17 to PHP23 per kilogram; while PHP23 to PHP30/kg for clean and dry palay.
Lacson said the method also enabled the farmers to immediately secure higher rice buffer stock nationwide.
“By June 30, we had already surpassed our first half-year target, 107 percent. And as of mid-September, we have already procured 4 million bags. With this, we have significantly increased our stocks nationwide,” he said.
Tiu Laurel also lauded the NFA’s effort to secure rice stock for times of emergencies.
“Congratulations sa inyo at (to you and) after nine years, tumaas na uli ang stocks ng NFA (the stocks of the NFA have increased again),” he said in a separate speech.
At present, the NFA has 4.7 or almost five days of rice buffer stock across the country.
Besides these, Lacson also cited NFA’s milestones in terms of appointments of 210 personnel; submission of merit selection plan and system ranking position to the Civil Service Commission for NFA employees’ promotion and new hiring; savings of around PHP631 million from the elimination of buffer stocking incentive; plans for improving handling services or repacking to NFA sacks which intends to slash half a billion cost; and the approval of higher buying price of NFA rice to PHP38/kg. from the previous PHP25/kg., among others. (PNA)
