By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte is set to meet with the country’s rice traders in Malacañang today amid concerns on the reported artificial rice shortage in the country.
The President is expected to appeal to the traders to avoid hoarding rice and impose unjust price increases, according to Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr.
“The President will be meeting with the rice traders tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon because the President will have to take on that,” Evasco, chair of the National Food Authority (NFA) Council, said during a Palace news conference.
“It was proposed by the Department of Agriculture Secretary that rice traders should be called and that the President talk to them so that we can preempt whatever plans of these traders and we can ask the traders to help us rather than take advantage of a situation to make money at the expense of the consuming public,” he added.
The President’s proposed meeting with rice traders came as Evasco blamed the NFA management for creating confusion and panic when it announced a supposed shortage of rice in the country.
