By BEN ROSARIO
The House of Representatives yesterday ordered the inspection of 13 rice warehouses suspected of hoarding cheaper rice sourced from the National Food Authority.
In a hearing conducted by the House Committee on Agriculture and Food, congressmen unanimously voted on a motion to look into the operations of rice distributors operating the 13 bodegas all located in Manila.
The order came after Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol assured the House that there’s no rice shortage in the country.
Manila Rep. Manuel Luis Lopez disclosed in the hearing that the granaries located in his congressional district are being operated by rice cartels which are behind the disappearance of NFA rice in the market.
The low supply of NFA rice has spiked prices of higher commercial rice as distributors took advantage of consumers who had no other recourse but to buy their products.
Lopez identified the rice cartels allegedly operating in his congressional district as Evergreen, Rising Sun, GRC, CGG, Expo, ARNS, Working Gold, Leoneco, PMT, Hype Rice, LM Rice Cereal, MML Grain Center and Grandio, all owners of bodegas on Dagupan street, Tondo.
The administration solon revealed that cartels have caused the rice price crisis triggered by the NFA rice shortage.
He accused operators of the warehouses of making huge purchase of NFA rice which are blended with commercial rice in order to get a higher price markup.
Following Lopez’s expose, the agriculture panel ordered the NFA and the Department of Agriculture to conduct an immediate inspection of the bodegas identified by Lopez.
In the same hearing, Senior Minority Leader and Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza said that the rice cartel and corrupt officials of NFA have forged an unholy alliance to manipulate the supply and price of the staple.
“Something must be done to put an end to these nefarious practices. Somebody has to pay,” said Atienza.
