Malacañang backs restoring NFA powers
Metro Manila, Philippines - Malacañang supported bringing back the powers of the National Food Authority (NFA) amid renewed calls from the Department of Agriculture on the matter to better address sectoral issues.
In a news conference on Wednesday, March 26, Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said she hopes the Congress will review the Rice Tariffication Act to give the NFA the proper authority as the law limited the agency’s powers.
“Maganda po sana po ‘no, mabigyan muli ng authority ang NFA, kasi nawalan po talaga sila ng power para po umangkat ng bigas,” Castro said. “At sa ngayon po, sa lahat po ng gagawin po kasi po ng NFA at ng DA dapat munang dumaan sa LGU (local government unit), hindi po kasi nakakadiretso ang mga farmers,” she added.
[Translation: It would be better to give NFA its authority back because it lost its power to import rice. Currently, the actions of the NFA and DA must be coursed through the LGU and not directly to the farmers.]
Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. previously said the NFA needs additional resources to buy around 20 percent of local rice supply to influence market prices.
He also said NFA’s limited authority left “traders room to suppress palay prices,” resulting in current farmgate prices dropping to as low as P14/kg.
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Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Agriculture spokesperson Arnel de Mesa also mentioned that the amended RTL was “limiting” in undertaking DA actions.
The amendment saw the possibility of declaring a food security emergency, which could release NFA stocks only though LGUs and other government agencies.
De Mesa said the NFA has only released 9,900 bags out of the committed 59,270 bags of rice under the food security emergency.
“Patuloy tayong nananawagan na sana makapag-release, makapag-intervene sa market ang NFA without necessarily having a declaration of an emergency,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
[Translation: We continuously call that the NFA can release stocks and intervene in the market without necessarily having a declaration of an emergency.]
