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CEBU CITY, Philippines - The National Food Authority in Central Visayas (NFA-7) on Tuesday increased rice allocations to all its outlets in Metro Cebu by 50 percent.
The 20-sack allocation per week to the Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke in public markets and the Tindahan Natin outlets in depressed areas in Metro Cebu were increased to 30 sacks per week, said Edgar Diez, NFA-7 spokesman.
Instead of 40 sacks, 50 sacks will be given to parish outlets through the Bigasan sa Parokya program.
Diez assured there is enough rice supply in NFA warehouses.
More than 700,000 sacks are in stock with more rice importations expected to arrive every month because NFA-7 is importing 1.9 sacks of rice for this year, he said.
There are 211 Tindahan Natin outlets, 330 Bigasan ni Gloria sa Palengke stores, and five Bigasan sa Parokya distribution centers that are accredited by the NFA in Cebu province.
The NFA stopped accrediting new applicants for Bigasan ni Gloria outlets but the agency is still considering applications for the Tindahan Natin outlets, whose locations will be recommended by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Five parish outlets include on each in Bogo City and Danao City and three in Cebu City barangays - Punta Princesa, Mabolo and Tejero.
The NFA-7 is processing the applications of Cebu City, Province and other local government units interested in being rice dealers.
Rice supply in the Visayas will last until the next harvest season in September of this year, said Vilma Zarraga, NFA Western Visayas regional manager.
She said inventory in the Visayas is at 9.4 million sacks as of April 1.
“All three regions need a total of 3.8 million sacks of rice for this month (April). This means that with our recent inventory of 9.4 million bags, we have a surplus, which can last up to 73 days or until the next harvest season,” she said.
Since harvest is still ongoing for the dry season planting last year, Zarraga said NFA is confident that more rice supply will be made available.
“There is certainly no need for the Visayas to worry about (rice) supply,” she told reporters yesterday at the sidelines of the Visayas Island Rice Consultation with Governors and Mayors.
More than 200 local government officials attended the consultation, which aims to encourage LGU to make rice production a top priority.
Panay island provinces in Region 6 are exporting rice to Cebu and Tacloban.
Iloilo province in Western Visayas is the fourth palay producer nationwide producing about 1 million metric tons in 2007.
Zarraga, who gave these figures in her presentation, repeated that there is no rice shortage.
A shortfall in rice production due to population increases every year creates a gap which is being filled by rice imports from as Vietnam and Thailand, she said.
Jesus Emmanuel Paras, Department of Agriculture (DA) undersecretary, said the government is rehabilitating and restoring irrigation facilities to stimulate rice production.
The DA is also encouraging farmers to plant certified and hybrid seeds, which can yield more that ordinary palay varieties.
Around 700 units of post harvest drying facilities will be provided to 6 provinces in the Visayas this year.
This includes the provinces of Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Bohol, Leyte and Southern Leyte.
