Prices on palay procurement increased
By Rose B. Palacio
Davao City (21 December) -- National Food Authority (NFA) Davao Manager Lorenzo Camayong said the government has increased its palay procurement from Pl0.00/kg to P11.00/kg with various incentives for farmers.
Farmers will get incentives and privileges that include: cooperative development incentive fee – P0.25/kg to FO's & Coop's and to individual farmers for palay delivery with 14% M.C.; Delivery incentive fee of P0.l0/kg to FO's & Coop's and to individual farmers;
La Nina Incentive fee of P0.50/kg to FO's & Coops and to individual farmers for palay deliveries from November 19, 2007 until March 31, 2008 only, according to NFA information officer Lorie Suratos.
In an interview with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Manager Camayong said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has directed NFA for the implementation of the Food for School program to address the hunger problem faced by most Filipinos and at the same time improved school attendance and nutritional status of the targeted children.
President Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the continuation of the program after a SWS survey revealed an increased incidence of poverty in the country.
The Food for School program is being spearheaded by the Department of Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in coordination with NEDA, National Nutrition Council, local government unit and many others.
As part of the President's pro-poor program, the NFA also accredited the nationwide network of Tindahan Natin, a project that caters to an initial of 300,000 poor families in the country.
More than 6,000 outlets are targeted by NFA nationwide network of Tindahan Natin with a total cost of some P154-million prioritized for 49 provinces nationwide.
They will be operated by entrepreneurs, community-based associations, non-government organizations (NGOs), LGUs, barangay councils and existing retail stores registered and accredited by government regulating agencies.
The Tindahan Natin outlets offer basic commodities such as rice, noodles, sugar, and canned goods at prices lower than the market prices.
The NFA is one of the supporting agencies of the Food for School program initiated by the DepED under the hunger-mitigating measures of the Office of the President.
NFA provides the rice requirement of every school-beneficiary which rewards every Grade l pupil one kilo of rice per day if the pupil attends class. (PIA) [top]
