NATIONAL Food Authority administrator Jessup
P. Navarro clarified that the imported rice stocks allegedly
being re-bagged are actually part of the rice allocated to
farmers’ organizations (FOs) under the agency’s
Institutionalized Farmers as Distributor (IFAD) program.
Navarro made the clarification in the wake of
a complaint by rice millers in Pangasinan that the P25-per-kilo
NFA rice is being re-bagged and sold at P32 per kilo in the
market. The Pangasinan rice millers said the re-bagging is being
done not only in their province but also in Isabela, Bulacan,
and even in Metro Manila.
Navarro said the IFAD program gives FOs the
opportunity to directly participate in the distribution of
imported rice. "While the NFA is tasked to ensure food security
and stability of the staple food, the farmers as our partners in
the program are allowed to do the rice distribution under
certain rules and regulations," he said.
Navarro said that under the general
guidelines for the program this year, part of the volume that
NFA sells during the lean months shall be allocated for FOs to
distribute to "enhance the farmers’ entrepreneurial and
marketing capability." He said the IFAD program allows FOs to
buy rice stocks from NFA-designated warehouses. This year, he
said the NFA has allocated 1 million bags for IFAD and
identified the warehouses designated as stock withdrawal points.
He said the total volume has been pro-rated
per region, with 30 percent of the million bags allocated to FOs
without palay deliveries and 70 percent to FOs with palay
deliveries.
This year’s IFAD allocations were released in
three tranches: 25 percent in June, 35 percent in July, and 40
percent this August. All the allocations are NFA commercial
grade rice sold at P25/kg or P1,250/bag. "Rice being sold under
IFAD are no longer considered NFA’s but the farmers’," Navarro
pointed out.
He also emphasized that for control measures
and to avoid suspicion that the stocks are being diverted, all
IFAD issuances will have to be re-bagged using FOs’ empty sacks
at the NFA issuing warehouse.
"All empty sacks used in the re-bagging are
even marked "IFAD Program" in bold letters to distinguish them
from the issuance under the regular distribution. Original empty
sacks recovered from re-bagging shall be retained by NFA,"
Navarro stressed.
He said FOs’ allocations shall be paid, withdrawn and sold
only in areas or provinces where the farmers’ organizations are
based unless authorized by the NFA central office or the
concerned issuing provincial office. Prior to the rice
withdrawal, the local provincial offices are advised to
coordinate and inform the local National Bureau of Investigation
about the FOs that will withdraw their IFAD allocations to avoid
suspicion of stock diversion. Other government agencies,
including the Departments of Trade and Agriculture are also
informed of the IFAD releases. – Irma Isip
