DA launches trial for P29/kg rice in Kadiwa stores
Metro Manila, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Friday, July 5, launched what it called “large-scale trial” that allows poor households to buy aging rice stocks for ₱29 per kilogram (kg).
Target beneficiaries of the subsidized rice include senior citizens, single parents, persons with disabilities and members of the government’s conditional cash transfer scheme or Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.
The DA limited the monthly allocation to 10 kg per household, and in 5-kg increments.
In a news briefing on Thursday, July 4, Agriculture Assistant Secretary Genevieve Guevarra said aside from aging rice stocks from the National Food Authority, the DA would also source stocks from the National Irrigation Administration’s rice contract growing project and potential imports.
The agency said it would provide to selected Kadiwa centers 15,000 kg of rice per week for 1,500 households.
“Meron tayong around 10,000 metric tons na available for this large-scale trial,” Guevarra said. “We’re computing, kaya naman po ito for the next six months.”
“Basta wala lang calamity or walang mapaggamitan si NFA, pwede ‘tong masustain dahil every month naman merong aging stocks ang NFA na pwede nating gamitin for this P29.”
[Translation: We have around 10,000 metric tons available for this large-scale trial. We’re computing, the program could run for the next six months. As long as there is no calamity or NFA would not use the stocks, this could be sustained with NFA’s monthly aging stocks.]
The DA said the full implementation would require approximately 69,000 metric tons of rice to target the 6.9 million vulnerable households.
Agriculture spokesperson Arnel de Mesa told reporters that the NFA’s mandate for calamity and relief efforts would not be affected with the “P29” program.
The mass trial will be launched in Kadiwa stores at the offices of the Bureau of Animal Industry and National Irrigation Administration in Quezon City; Bureau of Plant Industry in Manila; Food Terminal Inc. in Taguig City; PhilFIDA in Las Pinas; Caloocan City; Valenzuela City; Brgy. Fortune and BF City (BFCT) in Marikina City; and San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan.
The cheaper rice will be available every Friday to Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., or until supplies last.
Beneficiaries would present an identification card and would need to list their names. The DA plans to produce booklets in August to monitor the purchases.
“Our goal is to expand the number of KADIWA centers offering P29 rice in the coming weeks and extend this network to the Visayas and Mindanao by late August or early September, in collaboration with local government units, farmers' cooperatives, and private businesses,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement Friday.
The department is also eyeing to launch a “Rice-for-All” program for the public, where rice will be sold for ₱45 to ₱48.
