Iloilo farmers avail of services of NFA palay buying stations
by T. Villavert
Iloilo City (21 August) -- The National Food Authority (NFA) here observed a good number of farmers selling their palay at various NFA palay buying stations.
This was disclosed by Assistant Manager Juban Villa of NFA-Iloilo provincial office in a PIA interview, who emphasized that the NFA is buying clean and dry palay with 14% moisture content and a minimum of 95% purity at P17 per kilo.
Mr. Villa said that next week, they will launch their mobile procurement teams "so we could address the needs of the farmers in remote and far-flung areas who find it hard to deliver their produce to the NFA".
He said that the palay buying stations in Iloilo are in Pototan, Dumanggas, Kabsaka Warehouse in Jaro, San Dionisio and in Guimaras province.
The Department of Agriculture (DA-Central Office) press report disclosed that in line with President Arroyo's SONA commitments on ensuring rice sufficiency and raising rural incomes, the NFA is set to establish another 51 palay-buying stations nationwide in time for the main or wet harvest season to make it accessible for farmers to sell their produce to the agency.
The food agency's current buying stations include 52 such centers in Southern Luzon, 46 in Northern Luzon, 35 in Central Luzon and 22 in Western Visayas.
The NFA press report on the other hand disclosed that some P8.5 billion is allotted to finance an aggressive palay procurement for the October to December main harvest.
NFA administrator Jessup P. Navarro said the agency will be buying some 10 million bags of palay until the end of the year as it sets a target of 2.5 million bags per month beginning September. (PIA) [top]
