NIA launches sale of P29/kg. rice through contract growing program

MANILA: The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced Wednesday the selling of PHP29 per kg. of rice through the National Irrigation Administration's (NIA) contract growing program. "Ang objective nila is makapagbigay muli ng oportunidad sa mga mamimili na makapamili ng mas murang bigas dito sa mga malapit na area ng mga irrigators' associations (Their objective is to give consumers another opportunity to buy cheaper rice in areas near the irrigators' associations),' DA Assistant Secretary Arnel De Mesa said in an interview. 'Makakatulong ito again para mapababa iyong inflation (This will again help slow down inflation). These are among the many measures that the government is doing.' De Mesa said the cheap rice would be available in "Kadiwa sa NIA" sites in Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Caraga regions. The program supplements the DA's existing P29 and Rice for All programs, which provide PHP29 per kg. of the National Food Authority's (NFA) aging but good quality rice for the vulnerable sector, including members of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), senior citizens, persons with disability (PWDs), and solo parents; and the PHP45 per kg. of mixed imported and local commercial well-milled rice for the general population. De Mesa said NIA's supply is newly milled from irrigators' association harvest and shall be available with a 10-kg. purchase limit per buyer. 'Open siya to all, pero priority pa rin iyong vulnerable (It is open to all, but the priority will still be the vulnerable sector),' he added. NIA Administrator Eduardo Guillen has said the move is part of the government's convergence plan to achieve its food security targets alongside support to local farmers. 'Masaya po sila dahil secure iyong pagbebentahan po nila at saka mabilis po iyong tugon ng NIA sa pangangailangan nila (They are happy because they have a secured market and the NIA has been responding quickly to their needs),' he said in a radio interview, citing the early distribution of farm inputs and timely supply of irrigation water to farmers. Earlier, the NIA bared plans to sell 10 million sacks or 100 million kg. of PHP29 rice starting in August. Programs expansion De Mesa, meanwhile, said more areas are eyed for the simultaneous expansion of the P29 and Rice for All programs within August. For Metro Manila, he mentioned additional operations in Kadiwa sites in Pasay, San Juan, and Malabon. The DA is also planning to include Cainta, Rodriguez, San Mateo, and Taytay in Rizal, as well as more Kadiwa sites in Cavite, Batangas, Cebu, Samar, Sulu, and Maguindanao. To date, both programs are being operated in 17 Kadiwa sites in the Bureau of Animal Industry Dome and NIA in Quezon City; Bureau of Plant Industry in Malate, Manila; Food Terminal, Inc. in Taguig City; Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority in Las Piñas; Bayani Fernando Central Terminal and Barangay Fortune in Marikina; and more sites in Llano, Caloocan; Valenzuela; Pantao Fisherfolks Consumer Cooperative in Malabon; Navotas Institute in Navotas; San Jose del Monte, Bulacan; Antipolo City; Bacoor, Cavite; and San Pedro City Hall and Santa Rosa, Laguna, every Thursday to Saturday. Source: Philippines News Agency