NFA pilot: no re-bagging for farmers' palay

On Thursday, the National Food Authority (NFA) announced a new pilot program eliminating re-bagging of unhusked rice procured from farmers starting with the wet-season harvest.

Under this initiative, farmers will be allowed to sell palay in their own sacks without NFA re-bagging it; during the main cropping season, a 20% pilot test would result in approximately P27.4 million in savings.

Acting Administrator Larry Lacson said that if successful, next year 90 percent of palay procurement will be allowed to use farmers' sacks, potentially saving an estimated PHP215 million for additional procurement in 2025.

The NFA aims to boost farmer incomes and streamline the process by reducing delays and handling costs associated with re-bagging; this follows consultations with farmers who expressed a desire to avoid these practices due to cost savings.

In addition, the NFA has partnered with Philippine National Oil Co. on a rooftop solar panels project for its central office, which will be replicated at other sites across the network.