By Freddie G. Lazaro

Vigan City (14 July) -- The lowest price of commercial rice sold in the city's public market was pegged at P35.00 in a kilo. This was learned during the on - the spot monitoring on prices of commercial rice in the province recently.

According to Leticia Tabangcura, the lone licensed rice retailer selling commercial rice at P35 a kilo, said that she had the lowest price of a well milled rice (WMR) considering that this was produced in the province.

She said that the locally produced rice has lesser acquisition cost comparing to the cost of commercial rice from other regions like the rice from Cagayan Valley.

"As of this, all the classes of commercial rice that I am selling were produced during the second crop season in the province particularly in Bantay town," she said.

According to Tabangcura, price of commercial rice in the public market varies depending on the qualities or varieties.

She showed her similar grade of WMR but with varied prices as follows: a WMR Grade 2 with P36.00 per kilogram; a WMR Grade 2 with P37.00 a kilo; and a WMR Grade 2 with P38.00 per kilogram. Her WMR Grade 1 or her fancy rice is being sold at P39.00 per kilo while her glutinous rice is being sold to P40.00 per kilo.

The prices of the other rice retailer outlets per kilo gram of commercial rice in the market all over the city public market were ranging from P36.00 to P40.00 a kilo depending on the classes of rice.

Meanwhile, the National Food Authoriy (NFA) in the province is presently selling WMR through its PGMA's rolling stores program at a cost of P18.25 a kilo or P912.00 per cavan.