By Giselle P. Jordan

THE government’s P20 per kilogram rice program is an opportunity for the National Food Authority to change negative public perception on the quality of NFA rice, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a recent meeting with agency officials.

“This is our chance to change how people view NFA rice. We want to show that the rice we provide to those in need is not only affordable, but also tasty, nutritious, and just as good, if not better than, some imported varieties,” Tiu Laurel, who is concurrent NFA Council chairman, told agency officers and regional managers.

Consumers have, according to the agriculture department, noted the improved quality of NFA rice in the P20 and the previous P29 programs.

NFA managers have been ordered to pinpoint areas where traders exploit farmers by buying their harvest at very low prices. This would allow the NFA to protect farmers by focusing the agency’s procurement efforts in these areas.

Republic Act 11203, or the Rice Tariffication Law, mandates the NFA to buy rice buffer stocks solely from local farmers instead of importing. This supports domestic production and the farmers’ livelihood.

Bringing down the price of rice to P20/kg is a campaign promise in 2022 by then-presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Tiu Laurel said Marcos had asked him to sustain the program until the president ends his term in 2028.

To purchase more rice from local farmers, especially in remote areas, the NFA is enhancing its storage and drying capacity and increasing its trucks. It currently has more than P9.8 billion in funds for this year’s palay procurement, enough to buy 5 million 50-kg bags of rice.

Published Date: May 19, 2025