PALAY PROCUREMENT. Farmers in Zambales province sell their palay harvest to the National Food Authority (NFA) in this undated photo. With the imposition of new and higher buying prices, farmers have vowed to support the NFA's palay procurement program. (Photo courtesy of NFA-Zambales)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Farmers in Zambales province vowed to support the palay (unhusked rice) procurement program of the National Food Authority (NFA) as a result of the imposition of increased buying prices.
The NFA Council increased the purchase price for dry palay from PHP19 to PHP23, and the price for wet palay from PHP16 to PHP19.
Francisco Pallarag, a rice farmer from Barangay Palanginan, Iba town, said they are happy with the increase in the NFA’s purchase prices that helps boost their income.
Pallarag said they no longer worry about the abrupt decline in prices for their fresh palay which normally occurs during harvest season.
“Kadalasan ay bumabagsak ang presyo ng palay sa panahon ng anihan. Napipilitan kaming magbenta kahit sa mababang presyo dahil walang drying facilities. With the new NFA buying prices which are more competitive with the private traders, nabebenta na namin ang palay sa tamang presyo (Usually, the prices of palay drop during the harvest season. We are forced to sell even at low prices due to lack of drying facilities. With the new NFA buying prices which are more competitive with the private traders, we are able to sell our palay at the right price),” he said.
Pallarag thanked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the NFA as he vowed to support the government’s procurement program by selling his next harvest to the agency.
“Asahan ninyo rin po na sa susunod na ani ay dito ko rin po dadalhin ang aking palay at ibebenta (Rest assured that I will still bring and sell my palay here in the next harvest season),” Rosie Estrada of Barangay Sta. Barbara in Iba said.
Farmers Oscar Achacoso and Arnel Bundang, both residents of Barangay Palanginan-Tambak, on the other hand, encouraged other palay farmers to sell their harvests to the NFA.
"Madali nang magbenta ng palay sa NFA at sa tamang presyo. Kaya hinihikayat namin ang iba pang mga magsasaka na dito na kayo magbenta ng aning palay ninyo (It is now easy to sell palay to the NFA and at the right price. That is why we are encouraging other farmers to sell their palay harvests to the NFA), they said.
Meanwhile, Jovencia Abong, also of Barangay Palanginan-Tambak, asked the government to further increase the NFA’s purchasing prices to boost the government’s buffer rice stocks through local produce and avoid importation.
“Sana ay taasan pa para lahat ay dito na magpupunta sa NFA at hindi na tayo kailangan pang mag-import (Hopefully, it will further increase so that all will go to the NFA and there is no need for us to import),” Abong said. (PNA)
