DA disputes VP Duterte's remarks on NFA rice quality

The Department of Agriculture (DA) expressed disappointment over Vice President Sara Duterte's remarks about the quality of rice set to be sold at PHP20 per kilo in a pilot run in Visayas, calling her suggestion that NFA rice might not be suitable for human consumption an affront to Filipino farmers.

Vice President Duterte cast doubt on the planned limited sale of P20/kg rice, saying the National Food Authority might provide low-quality rice, while farmers' groups called the move an 'electoral gimmick'.

DA Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. emphasized that the NFA supply comes from palay (unhusked rice) procurement from local farmers and personally vouched for the safety and quality of NFA rice, stating that he and his staff consume it daily.

The P20 program aims to fulfill a campaign promise by bringing down the price of rice to PHP20, with plans to extend the initiative until 2028 if successful; local government units will share in subsidizing the gap between market prices and the selling price of PHP20 per kilo.

Farmers' groups have called for the repeal of the Rice Tariffication Law and urged the government to focus on revitalizing local production through genuine land reform, rural development, and food sovereignty.