By Mary Judaline Partlow/PNA
DUMAGUETE CITY — The National Food Authority (NFA) in Negros Oriental on Wednesday assured that there is more than enough supply of rice in the local market.
Hilaria Ganzon, NFA-Negros Oriental chief, said because of the milling season and importation of commercial rice by private entities, the province is enjoying an abundant supply of the staple.
She, however, could not give specific figures on the volume of rice importation or locally-produced rice as it is now beyond their authority to determine such.
Nevertheless, Ganzon pointed out that there is no need to fear scarcity of rice because there is plenty in the market.
“Dili ta mahutdan kay daghan man kaayo ug commercial rice sa mga market (we won’t run out because there is plenty of commercial rice in the markets),” she said.
In fact, the prices of commercial rice in the local market have slightly gone down, from the previous average of PHP56 per kilo to about PHP52 a kilo nowadays, Ganzon disclosed.
The NFA conducts weekly monitoring of commercial rice prices, she said.
Currently, there have been no changes in the prices of commercial rice even as private importation continues, she added.
Meanwhile, the NFA in Negros Oriental is awaiting shipment of some 44,000 bags of rice, imported from either Thailand or Vietnam, which are expected to arrive sometime next week.
Ganzon disclosed that loading has commenced and it would usually take five days or more for the government rice to be delivered to the province from nearby Cebu.
The NFA-Negros Oriental warehouse still has some 1,000 bags as buffer stock but Ganzon said she is confident that this will not run out because of the ample supply of commercial rice in the market.
