Reg’l food office lauds NFA Bukidnon for exceeding target

By LITO RULONA
Correspondent .

National Food Authority – 10 (NFA-10) regional director Engr. Genaro Nuñez commended the rank and file employees of NFA Bukidnon Provincial Office after acquiring the procurement target for the month of May 2019.

Nuñez said he commended the move under the leadership of NFA Bukidnon Provincial manager Beverly M. Navarro for having met the province’s palay procurement target for the month of May 2019.

“As of May 21, NFA Bukidnon has already procured 20,155 bags palay surpassing its May target of 20,000 bags,” he said.

He said with the hard work, humble appeal to the farmers, and constant “ugnayan” meetings with individual farmers, farmers’ cooperatives, irrigators’ associations, the procurement teams assigned in Aglayan, Valencia City, the municipalities of Maramag, and Kalilangan have established the trust and confidence of the farmers.

Nuñez said the move is in response for the pronouncement of NFA OIC administrator Tomas R. Escarez calling that even before the signing of the law’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Rice Liberalization Law, the NFA regional and provincial offices has already implemented the self-executing provisions of RA 11203 which took effect March 5, 2019.

“RA 11203 has revised the NFA’s mandate from ensuring national food security and stabilizing supply and prices of rice, to buffer stocking for emergencies and calamities.

The law also stipulates that NFA shall source its buffer stock solely from local farmers,” he added.

He said Palay deliveries to NFA Bukidnon are mostly personal commitments made by farmers to the provincial office’s procurement teams as the result of their endeavor, “Of course, the personnel’s close coordination with LGUs , MAOs, and DA attached agencies significantly contributed to the commendable volume procured by the province”.

“It is significant to note that despite NFA’s high buying price at P20.70/kilogram, there are farmers who have lately been observed to be selling their palay produce to traders. Prevailing ex-farm price of paddy has this May started to increase.

The Philippine Statistics Authority noted in its May 1 – 7 report that averaged prevailing palay price in Northern Mindanao has already gone up to P20.34 per kilogram,” he pointed out.