MANILA: The National Food Authority (NFA) on Tuesday said the proposed modification in the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) authorizing the agency to sell cheaper rice in times of emergencies may help curb the operations of unscrupulous traders. NFA Officer-in-Charge Larry Lacson made the statement after the House of Representatives' Committee on Agriculture and Food approved the proposed RTL amendments, which President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. certified as urgent. "I think the mere fact, kung malalagay man sa amendment ng RTL na pwedeng pumasok ang gobyerno in cases of emergency or unusual na galaw ng presyo ng merkado, e malaking hindrance na sa mga traders na makaka-isip na magsamantala (if the RTL amendment will indicate that the government can intervene in cases of emergency or unusual spikes of market prices, then this will be a huge hindrance to traders who are planning to take advantage)," he said in an interview at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing. "Sa tingin po kasi natin, after ng Rice tarifficat ion law, natali iyong kamay ng gobyerno na makapag-intervene po sa market para sana ma-stabilize ang presyo, particularly ng bigas (As we see it, after the RTL, the government's hand are tied in intervening in the stabilization of market prices, particularly of rice)," Lacson said. He said the NFA is very much willing to adhere to whatever future decisions Marcos may make regarding the agency, considering that its current function is limited to national buffer stocking. "Kung iyan (RTL) ay mapabilis at mabigyan kami ng bagong trabaho, gagawin lang po namin ay pagbubutihin namin kung paano po i-implement iyan (If passage of the RTL amendments will be hastened and we are given new responsibilities, we will just properly implement them)," he said. When asked if a PHP30/kg of rice in the retail market is feasible, Lacson said this shall be dependent on how much the administration is willing to subsidize. "Alam naman po natin na ang bili namin ng palay ay PHP30 po. So, nasa gobyerno na po iyan kung ano po iyon g final na decision kung magkano po ang gusto nilang i-subsidize (We all know that our buying price of palay is pegged at PHP30/kg. So, it's up to the final decision of the government on how much it wants to subsidize)," he said. In April, the NFA implemented a new and higher pricing scheme pegged at PHP17 to PHP23 per kilogram for fresh or wet palay (from the old PHP16 to PHP19/kg); and PHP23 to PHP30/kg for clean and dry palay (formerly set at PHP19 to PHP23/kg). The DA earlier reported that the NFA Council has approved the selling price of NFA rice be set at 20 percent less than the prevailing market prices. As of Tuesday, the prevailing market price of local regular-milled rice ranges from PHP46/kg. to PHP53/kg. and well-milled at PHP48/kg. to PHP55/kg.; while imported regular-milled rice is pegged at PHP48 to PHP51/kg. and well-milled at PHP51/kg to PHP53/kg. Source: Philippines News Agency
