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By LITO RULONA
Correspondent

National Food Authority – 10 (NFA-10) in coordination with the City Price Control Council (CPCC) and the City Council Committee on Trade, Commerce and Industry will conduct a surprise citywide inspection to all warehouses in the city of rice for possibly apprehend hoarders.

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NFA-10 regional director Fernando Nuñez during the committee meeting of the Trade, Commerce and Industry chaired by Councilor George Goking said they would lead and provide information on the whereabouts and location of all warehouses that stocks rice and other basic commodities.

“Let’s create a task force combine with our office, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the CPCC vice-chaired by Atty. Edgardo Uy and the committee headed by Councilor Goking. Dili lang gyud unta sakyan ang issue nga kulang ang supply sa bugas,” he said.

Nuñez admitted that commercial rice sellers started imposed higher retail price after the news broke out that NFA supplies in other region started to go down in the market.

“Latest supply indicators prepared by National Statistics Office disclosed that we still last for 9 days, commercial 15 days and household 23 days. All in all 48 days to last in the supply,” he said.

He said Vietnam and Thailand rice will supply expected arrival of 325,000 metric tons of rice under the minimum access volume (MAV) to be distributed in different regions in the country that will surely reduce the commercial price in the market this week.

“Commercial stocks will increase. Under supplies and demand this will affect in lowering down the market price,” he added.

However, this MAV supplies should closely be monitored by the task force so that possible hoarding would be prevented.

City Councilor George Goking claimed that after receiving the names and whereabouts of warehouses, they would immediately conduct inspection to all rice traders stocks.

“This is a spot check to avoid hoarding. We will closely monitoring and sanctions will be imposed sa mga madakpan. CPCC has no authority over NFA but with close coordination with them we can track them down,” he said.

The Task Force NFA will go against rice traders while the CPCC will track down also hoarders on basic commodities.

“Labi na gyud sa importation of rice nga basin ila lamang nga tago-an tungod sa maayo nga quality. NFA officials assured that they will coordinate closely as we also created a technical working group to make guidelines in all our efforts,” he said.

Nunez said the mandate of the NFA is for food security and stabilization. In the stabilization, NFA is mandated to buy supply of palay from the farmers to the prevailing price of P17.70 per kilo while the commercial buys in the market at P23 per kilo. “This is far high compared to us but we are mandated by the government to secure. The issue is we will supply in the lower price so that commercial price will not go high as much. Dili kaayo sila makapasaka kay barato lang gihapon kami,” he added.

Nuñes also admitted that last October to December last year, they supplied 50 bags per barangay outlet and during the January 2018 in which supplies of rice dwindled, they reduced its supply to only 30 bags per barangay every week.

 

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