GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/03 November) — The National Food Authority (NFA) here is expecting the arrival within this month of an additional 200,000 bags of imported rice to augment the rice requirements of this city and the neighboring areas.
Dionisio Hectin Jr., manager of the NFA’s Sarangani-General Santos provincial office, said Thursday the additional rice supplies from Thailand will arrive at the Makar port here.
Farmers in Antipas town, North Cotabato harvest rice amid a severe El Niño phenomenon in this photo taken on April 5, 2016. MindaNews file photo by TOTO LOZANO
He said half of the augmentation supply or some 100,000 bags was allotted for Region 12 while the remaining half was set aside for Region 11 or the Davao Region.
Although a part of Region 12, Sarangani and this city are under the operational jurisdiction of the NFA in Region 11.
Of the 100,000 bags allotted for Region 11, the official said a total of 74,000 bags were allotted for the Sarangani-General Santos area.
The other imported rice supplies will be delivered to the NFA offices in Davao City and Davao del Sur, he said.
“These will augment our current buffer stocks. With these, we will be assured of enough imported rice supplies until Dec. 31,” he said in an interview over Brigada News TV.
For 2018, Hectin said they already requested to their central office two months ago the area’s requirements for the first quarter.
He said the request had been submitted and is awaiting approval by the NFA council.
The official assured that they currently have enough rice supplies and its regular deliveries have continued in the local markets.
“We expect the delivery of more imported stocks in the coming months so we don’t foresee any shortage supplies in our area. Rice prices in the markets also remained stable,” he said.
Hectin said that aside from the NFA, he said rice stocks in the local markets are being augmented by private sector importation.
He added that their office can also request for augmentation from other units in the area and the neighboring regions when needed. (MindaNews)
