Below, from a clipping circa late 1980s of an article by Roman Floresca, on rice importation policy of the National Food Authority (NFA), under the administration of Emil Ong:

Over-importation of rice by the [Marcos] administration is exacting its toll on farmers by way of low palay prices. This observation was aired by National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Emil Ong, in a briefing with newsmen yesterday. Ong said average rice prices have remained at the P6 per kilo level as he confirmed earlier reports that the NFA, under the previous administration, imported much more than the actual needs of the country.

Records show that the cabinet of former President Marcos authorized the NFA to import up to 400,000 metric tons of rice. This, according to Ong, is excessive. "We needed to import 200,000 metric tons," he said. What’s more, he continued, there are indications that the NFA actually imported up to 550,000 metric tons of rice.

NFA records, however, do not support any importations in excess of the 400,000 metric tons authorized by the cabinet. As it is today, said Ong, the NFA still holds around 300,000 metric tons of imported rice stocks. Adding NFA’s local purchases, the current stock position of the food agency is somewhere around 500,000 metric tons, which represents a 35-day buffer stock.

This is not to mention NFA’s current procurement rate which Ong placed at 20,000 cavans or 1,000 tons per day versus a market injection rate of only 200 tons/day. Furthermore, private traders hold an estimated 300,000 metric tons, while household stocks are placed at close to a million metric tons. The existing surplus situation has resulted in palay prices well below the government support price of P3.50 per kilo.

Reports from NFA field offices show a national average of P2.87 per kilo offered by private traders. The lowest rates were recorded in the Northern Mindanao region with an average of P2.49 per kilo, which the highest offers were in the Ilocos Region with an average of P3.28 per kilo.

Prices in other regions are as follows: Ilocos region-P2.75; Central Luzon-P2.83; Southern Tagalog-P2.89; Bicol-P2.93; Western Visayas-P2.92; Central Visayas-P2.94; Eastern Visayas-P2.78; Western Mindanao-P2.86; Southern Mindanao-P2.82; Central Mindanao-2.94.

Prices have actually improved, considering that about three weeks ago, palay prices had gone as low as P1.90 per kilo in some parts of the Southern Tagalog region. The improvement has been attributed to the fact that the current harvest season has gone past the halfway mark.

According to Ong, the NFA and the private sector combined have purchased an estimated 60 percent of the total projected harvest for the season.

But while palay farmers may have reason to complain about low palay prices, the consumers are benefiting from the low rice prices.

NFA monitoring teams have recorded prices of as low as P5.33/kilo for undermilled rice, while regular milled rice is fetching P5.62/kilo.

Well-milled rice, on the other hand, is being priced at P6.02 per kilo, while overmilled rice is selling at P7.04 per kilo.