By DANNY O. SAGUN
PIA Dagupan Infocenter

PANGASINAN has enough rice supply for the next four months or up to July, according to the National Food Authority.

Edilberto Libatique, branch manager of NFA western Pangasinan based in Lingayen, said that the total rice stocks in the province amounts to some 3.6 million bags with NFA having 193,000 bags in its bodegas. Estimated household stocks today stand at 2.2 million bags while traders have some 860,000. The province expects to harvest some 635,000 bags of palay, equivalent to 413,000 bags of rice.

He said that based on this data, there is enough rice supply for the province for the next four months.

But the situation may tighten during the lean months or beginning July if the expected rice import is not realized.

Libatique said Region 1 expects to receive this year a total allocation of 2 million bags of imported rice with 400,000 going to Pangasinan.

“Sana maiposition na natin ito sa June 30 in preparation for the lean months,” he told the Pantongtongan Tayo radio program of the Philippine Information Agency over Radyo ng Bayan DZMQ last Tuesday.

Only about half of the region’s share has been shipped so far, he said. He expressed hope however that the balance will be delivered in time. The country is pinning its hopes on rice exporter Vietnam to fill the gap in the country’s supply.

The Philippines has been importing rice for the past seven years, an indication that the country’s produce is not enough to feed the growing population. There are some 88 million Filipinos now.
The price of rice in the world market is also steadily rising which accounts for the increase lately in rice prices locally. From $375 per metric ton, the price last March reached $708 per MT, an indication of a tight situation in the international market.

But he debunked claims of a rice crisis. “Kung pinipilahan na yong commercial rice at napakataas na ng presyo, maaring may crisis nga, pero ang pinipilahan ngayon ay yong NFA rice dahil mas mababa ang presyo kumpara sa commercial rice,” he observed.

NFA rice is sold at P18.25 per kilo while commercial rice is sold from P29 to P35 per kilo, a difference of some P10 or more.

Consumers can buy up to three kilos of NFA rice in a day. To prevent price manipulation or mixing of NFA rice with commerical rice, the NFA has repacked rice at one kilo each to be sold in Bigasang Bayan outlets located in public markets.