DA eyes food security emergency for rice

Farmers group Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (SINAG) supports the Department of Agriculture's plan to declare a food security emergency for rice due to high prices.

Despite recent declines in world market rice prices, DA spokesperson Arnel de Mesa insists that an emergency declaration is still necessary to manage buffer stock from National Food Authority (NFA) warehouses.

The National Price Coordinating Council has approved a resolution urging the DA to declare a food security emergency for rice as prices remain elevated.

SINAG president Rosendo So believes the declaration will help replenish NFA buffer stocks by buying from farmers, preventing them from being shortchanged.

Once declared, NFA stocks will be sold to local government units in Metro Manila at P36 per kilo and can be resold in wet markets for P38 a kilo.

The DA remains optimistic that the official copy of the NPCC resolution recommending an emergency declaration will arrive by February 1, allowing them to release rice into wet markets.