Senators scolded anew on Wednesday the National Food Authority (NFA) for hoarding four million sacks of imported rice in its warehouses.
At the hearing of the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture, NFA Administrator Judy Dansal bared that the agency has yet to dispose several bags of imported rice.
Senator Cynthia Villar was grilling the agency for failing again to buy palay from local farmers and sell affordable rice in markets despite the enactment of the Republic Act No. 11203, known as the Rice Tariffication Law, which narrowed its mandate.
Sen. Imee Marcos then prodded the NFA to “tell the truth”.
Responding to the senators, Dansal said, “Yes, ma’am. Marami pang imported rice kaya nga pinu-push namin na maubos kaya ‘yong mga bagong local rice hindi pa basta ibinebenta.”
Pressing the agency further, Marcos, citing her research, said that nine million bags of imported rice are “rotting” in the NFA’s warehouses.
Dansal corrected Marcos, saying “Four million na lang, ma’am.”
The NFA imported last year a total of 1.25 million metric tons (MT) of rice to fill its dwindling buffer stock of affordable rice and quell the high retail prices of commercial rice in markets.
Dansal said that 290,000 MT of the procured imported rice remains unsold.
She, however, insisted that the NFA is complying with its mandate to buy palay from local rice farmers and is no longer importing rice.
But Villar said the agency should have sold the rice in markets immediately.
Earlier, she cited persistent complaints that the NFA refuses to buy from local farmers due to strict moisture requirements.
She said a governor also reported to her that the agency is selling them rice at P37 per kilogram, when it should only be P27 to P32 per kilo.
“You are supposed to buy and sell to stabilize the prices of rice. Kasama kayo sa magulo kaya tayo nagkaganito, eh. Ang tao sinisisi na kayo,” Villar told the NFA.
Villar also recalled the committee’s investigation last year learning from former NFA administrator Jason Aquino that they sold “rotten” rice to private rice traders at P22/kg.
Marcos claimed that NFA hopes to sell the imported rice to their “favorite traders.”
But Dansal denied this, appealing to senators to allow the NFA to make up for its lapses.
She said the agency has improved in buying from local farmers, informing the panel that from January to August this year, the NFA has purchased 293,642 MT or P6 billion worth of local rice, compared to 2018’s measly purchase of 4,046 MT. (Vanne Terrazola)
