DA aims for food security emergency approval this week

AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said he aims to secure approval for the declaration of a national food security emergency from the National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) this week. The declaration of a national food security emergency would allow the Department of Agriculture (DA) to distribute rice buffer stocks of the National Food Authority (NFA) to government agencies and local government units (LGUs) in an attempt to stabilize rice prices across the country. The decision to propose a food security emergency came after persistently high prices of rice in various areas of the country despite global price reductions and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s order to lower rice tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent last year. NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said the agency intends to release 150,000 metric tons (MT) or 3 million 50-kilogram bags of rice over six months, setting areas with high rice prices as a priority in the program. "This monthly release of approximately 30,000 metric tons will alleviate high rice prices and prepare NFA warehouses for the upcoming palay procurement season," Lacson said. He assured the public that while the agency releases stocks, sufficient buffer stock would still be kept in case of disasters or emergencies. This upcoming rice harvest season, the NFA is set to procure palay (unmilled rice) at P23 per kilogram to fulfill its rice buffer stock requirement of 555,000 MT or 15 days of national consumption as mandated by the amended Rice Tariffication Law (RTL). The DA assured the public that they are committed to ensuring that rice is available and at affordable prices across the country.