By JON VIKTOR D. CABUENAS, GMA Integrated News

The National Food Authority (NFA) is set to ship some 35,000 bags of rice from San Jose, Oriental Mindoro to Cebu, where they will be sold for P20 per kilogram, as part of the pilot implementation of the government’s program aimed to lower prices of rice in the country.

According to the Department of Agriculture (DA), the latest shipment is part of the 100,000 50-kilo sacks ordered by Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia for distribution in the province. The first batch of 35,000 bags arrived three weeks ago.

“(T)his effort is about more than just bringing down prices — it is about recognizing and supporting the people who make it possible,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., who also chairs the NFA Council, said in a statement.

“By clearing space in our NFA warehouses, we are making room to buy more palay from you, our beloved farmers. Here in Mindoro, a vital rice-producing province in Southern Tagalog, you deserve not just recognition, but fair prices that truly reflect your hard work and sacrifice,” he added.

The NFA buys fresh palay or unmilled rice from farmers at P18 per kilo, and up to P24 per kilo for dry palay. This compares with the P13.50 to P18.00 per kilo buying price of private traders, against an estimated production cost of P12 to P14 per kilo.

The rice shipments are then sent to local governments and Katuwang sa Diwa at Gawa para sa Masaganang Ani at Mataas na Kita (KADIWA) Centers of the DA to be sold to indigents, senior citizens, solo parents, and persons with disabilities at P20 per kilo.

“This subsidized rice program is for every Filipino family striving to put food on the table—and for every farmer who rises before dawn, rain or shine, to feed the nation. Thank you. You are the heartbeat of this program, and the reason it has meaning,” Tiu Laurel said.

Tiu Laurel in January said the NFA is set to buy at least 300,000 metric tons of rice this year, with optimism that the country will hit a record for palay production.

Under its mandate, the NFA is tasked to maintain sufficient rice buffer stocks to be sourced mainly from local farmers. The agency, for its part, said it is also mandated to keep and dispose of 99.9% of stocks in good and consumable condition. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

Published Date: June 3, 2025